Brittons Hill resident pleads guilty to all three cannabis charges in magistrates court

Winston Alleyne, 51, of Reece Road, changed his plea mid-hearing to admit possession, trafficking and intent to supply. Magistrate Renee discharged him on all counts.

Brittons Hill man reverses plea, admits all cannabis charges at Fairchild Street hearing

A 51-year-old man from Reece Road, Brittons Hill, pleaded guilty to all three cannabis-related charges before a magistrates court after initially contesting two of them, Barbados Today reports.

Winston St Alban Alleyne first appeared before Magistrate Manila Renee and admitted to possession of cannabis but entered a not guilty plea on the charges of possession with intent to supply and having a traffickable quantity of the controlled drug. Sergeant Kenmore Phillips raised no objection to bail, though no surety was available at that point in the proceedings.

Once Alleyne's surety arrived at court, he asked that the charges be read again. On the second reading, he pleaded guilty to all three offences, which took place on a Thursday evening.

Found with cannabis in 'Vincy Town'

The court heard that police officers were on patrol along Fairchild Street, in the area known as 'Vincy Town', when they spotted Alleyne rolling a cigarette. A strong scent of marijuana was coming from the immediate area. Officers approached him, stated their suspicions and he consented to a search of his person.

Inside his haversack, officers found a transparent bag containing the drug. The cannabis weighed 37.19 grammes and carried an estimated street value of $190.

Magistrate cites old antecedents in discharge

Magistrate Renee noted that Alleyne's most recent prior conviction for a similar offence dated back to 2010. On that basis, she convicted, reprimanded and discharged him on the possession charge, and similarly reprimanded and discharged him on the trafficking and intent to supply charges.

"It was not a large amount, you did not waste the court's time and your antecedents are very old. So you can go," Renee said.

Source: Barbados Today