56 months jail for men found guilty of trafficking Marijuana

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Twenty- two – year – old Julius Joyce of Middle Road, East La Penitence and his accomplice, Ziggy Webster were yesterday (January 09) sentenced to 56 months imprisonment by Magistrate Judy Latchman for trafficking narcotics.

They were both also fined $382,500 after being found guilty of the offence. Particulars of the charge stated that on November 14, 2014 at Middle Road La Penitence, Georgetown, Joyce and Webster had in their possession 257 grammes of Marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Webster was not present in Court for sentencing.

According to the Prosecution’s facts, Joyce and two of his friends, Ziggy Webster and Latoya Osborne, were allegedly caught red-handed parceling off the drug when the police made an unsuspecting raid in the Middle Road La Penitence house.

During the trial, Joyce, who represented himself, had stated that he was at home sleeping when he got the phone call from a friend telling him to come by and visit him at the said address.

He said it was shortly after he arrived and was conversing with his friends, that the Police raided the premises. He denied knowledge of the drug. The case was prosecuted by Inspector Joel Ricknauth.

In her ruling, the Magistrate said that having considered the weight of the drug and the way it was parceled in ziplock bags, she had no doubt that the drug was intended to be trafficked.

She found Joyce guilty as charged. Joyce begged the Magistrate for leniency and said he is expecting his first child next month.