Bermudan man jailed for 25 years for $1m heroin haul, ammo

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Apr 13, CMC – A Bermuda Supreme Court judge has jailed a 43-year-old youth coach for 25 years after being convicted of having heroin with a street value of US$1 million and six rounds of ammunition.

Winston Paynter was given 19½ years for drug possession with intent to supply and 14 years for possession of ammunition without a licence.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe said during sentencing on Wednesday that the sentences were to run consecutively with time in custody taken into consideration, but reasoned that the total of 33½ years would be disproportionate to the offences and reduced the amount to 25 years.

Mr Justice Wolffe said in his written decision: “I should say from the outset that there should be no dispute about the public’s and the legislature’s grim views of the offences for which the defendant has been convicted of.

“The harsh sentencing tariffs for each offence are no doubt a reflection of society’s revulsion for these offences, particularly in an environment which has been comprehensively devastated by the disturbing rise and prevalence of drug addiction and gun violence in Bermuda over the past 10 to 15 years.

“Such devastation lies firmly at the feet of those who not only tear at the normal, social and physical health of our community for financial benefit through their trafficking in drugs, but who are also poised to exact violence and fear on members of the public in order to secure and/or maintain their ill-gotten gains.”

Mr Justice Wolffe said that the two charges on their own were “reprehensible” enough – but combined suggested someone who was “prepared to go to extreme lengths to protect their nefarious product”.

He added that while Paynter was convicted of ammunition possession and not firearms possession, there was “no real difference legislatively” between the two.

The Supreme Court earlier heard that police stopped Paynter, a temperature control technician, on April 11, 2019, as he drove his work van along Middle Road in Warwick parish.

They searched the back of his van and found two heat-sealed packages with a brown substance later discovered to be 371.3 grams of heroin.

A later search of his Devonshire home also turned up six nine-millimetre rounds of ammunition.

Paynter told the court during his trial that he was completely unaware of the drugs and ammunition, and said they likely came from his cousin, who lived in his apartment while Paynter stayed with his girlfriend, and who used his work van on occasion.

Despite his claim, which was supported later by his girlfriend, Paynter was convicted by a jury on March 9 on all counts.

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