Convict chooses jail as he can’t pay $6,000 fine

An unemployed man, who police officers found in possession of less than a pound of ganja that he intended to sell to provide for himself, opted to spend 30 days in custody, as he had no funds to pay the fines.

"Your Honour, me nuh have nobody fi help me out. Nuh friend, no family, no mother or father. Everybody a just pretender," Dennis Hall told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque.

Hall pleaded guilty to being in possession of ganja in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday. The weight of the substance, although not cerified by the State's lab, is said to be 10 ounces.

When the judge queried if he was offered station bail, Hall admitted that he assaulted the man who was his surety.

"I came home one day and see all my things on fire and I ask him what is happening but him start threaten me and tell me how him ago kill me. Your Honour, me just box him," Hall explained.

But the investigator pointed out that the person stood surety for Hall in a wounding case before the court that is set for mention on September 1.

"The surety sought advice what to do about the assault and he decided that he was not going to stand as surety any more. When Mr Hall was at the station, I asked him if he could get someone else to bail him and he said no. Your Honour, I even went further and told him that I would offer him station bail because we don't have any space at the station for any more prisoners and he said he does not have any identification, so because of that, he is still in custody," the investigating officer told the judge.

"That is not a good thing Mr Hall. You can't be living and have no one to call for help," Judge Cole-Montaque said, before imposing a fine of $6,000.

However, Hall indicated that he would not be able to pay the fine as he is not working. He explained that he was earning a living by working on construction sites, but "nothing nah gwan" so he ventured into selling weed. Cole-Montaque decided to impose the sentence of $6,000 or 30 days' imprisonment.

"I normally impose the sentence of three months but in your situation, I'll take something off and give you 30 days," she said, to which Hall replied "Thank you".

- T.T.