In a sudden turn of proceedings at a local magistrates court, a 51-year-old man from Reece Road, Britttons Hill has reversed his initial partial guilty plea and admitted to all three cannabis-related offenses brought against him.
When the case was first called, magistrate Manila Renee read out the three charges against Winston St Alban Alleyne. The defendant initially only entered a guilty plea for simple possession of cannabis, maintaining not guilty pleas for two more severe charges: trafficking a quantifiable amount of the controlled substance and possessing cannabis with intent to supply. All three offenses are alleged to have occurred on a Thursday evening.
Prior to the change of plea, law enforcement officer Sergeant Kenmore Phillips had already confirmed he had no objections to granting bail to Alleyne, but no approved surety was present at the court when the hearing began. By the time Alleyne’s surety arrived at the courthouse, the defendant made an unexpected request: he asked for all charges to be read a second time to the court. After the charges were re-read, Alleyne changed all of his pleas to guilty.
Details of the arrest were presented to the court, outlining that uniformed police were conducting routine patrols along Fairchild Street in the Vincy Town district when they spotted Alleyne rolling a cigarette. Officers detected a strong, distinct odor of marijuana emanating from the area where Alleyne was standing, so they approached him to share their suspicions and request to search his person and belongings. Alleyne consented to the search without objection, and during a check of his haversack, law enforcement found a clear plastic bag holding the suspected cannabis.
Forensic testing confirmed the seized substance weighed 37.19 grams, with an estimated street value of $190. A review of Alleyne’s criminal history showed his most recent prior conviction dated back to 2010, for a similar cannabis-related offense.
In her sentencing decision, Magistrate Renee chose to convict, reprimand and discharge Alleyne on all three charges, including the possession, trafficking, and intent to supply counts. She explained her lenient decision in open court, noting “It was not a large amount, you did not waste the court’s time and your antecedents are very old. So you can go.”