A high-stakes criminal trial has kicked off at Barbados’ No. 4 Supreme Court, centering on a man who faces multiple drug-related charges linked to more than 120 kilograms of cannabis intercepted at sea more than six years ago.
Walter O’neal Prescod, a resident of Emerald Park East in St. Philip, has entered not guilty pleas to all three counts brought against him. The charges stem from an incident dated July 23, 2018, when authorities allege he was in possession of the 121.4-kilogram cannabis stash within Barbados’ territorial waters, illegally imported the controlled substance, and held a traffickable quantity of the drug — a designation that carries severe legal penalties under Barbadian law.
Over the first days of proceedings, prosecutors have presented key forensic witness testimony to lay out their case against the defendant. Marsha Skeete, Director of the Forensic Science Centre, told the court she took custody of a sealed evidence bag from a law enforcement officer one week after the alleged incident, on July 30, 2018. Inside the sealed container were six transparent, resealable plastic bags holding plant material that underwent full forensic analysis. Skeete confirmed that the tested material matched the genetic profile of plants from the Cannabis genus, consisting of a mixture of seeds, crushed leaves, and plant stalks.
Additional testimony came from Justice of the Peace Gary Alleyne, who took the stand to recount his observations at the Oistins Police Station three days after the alleged offence, on July 26, 2018. Alleyne told the court he was on location at the station when he conferred with a police officer about the case, while Prescod was present at the station alongside his defense attorney Andrew Pilgrim. Alleyne testified he personally observed a law enforcement officer documenting 40 separate packages, each of which held plant material suspected at the time to be cannabis. To corroborate this on-scene documentation, a police photographer submitted an evidence album containing more than 50 images of the seized packages to the court for the jury’s review.
The prosecution is being led by Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Alliston Seale SC, assisted by acting Senior State Counsel Paul Prescod. Representing the defendant in the proceedings are defense counsels Sade Harris and Elan Greenidge. A nine-member jury, made up of five women and four men, has been empaneled to hear all evidence presented in the case and deliver a verdict, with the Honorable Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell presiding over the trial at the Supreme Court. As of the latest update, proceedings are ongoing as the prosecution continues to lay out its evidence against the accused.