Grazetes man ordered to pay $40,000 for cannabis theft from Six Men's beach

Dale Orlando Nicholls admitted taking 67.7 kilogrammes of cannabis from a northern shoreline in 2019. A High Court judge imposed a financial penalty rather than imprisonment.

Grazetes man ordered to pay $40,000 for cannabis theft from Six Men's beach

A resident of Scotts Terrace, Grazetes, has been handed a $40,000 financial penalty after confessing that he took a large quantity of cannabis from a northern shoreline and kept it at his dwelling.

Dale Orlando Nicholls appeared before the No. 4 Supreme Court for sentencing on June 24, having already admitted guilt for possessing and moving 67.7 kilogrammes of the controlled substance on April 20, 2019. He asked the court for mercy, expressing deep regret for his conduct. He told Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell that his landscaping enterprise was thriving at the time, but stress led him to make a poor choice.

Officers had acted on intelligence and searched Nicholls' home, where they discovered a package containing the illicit material. When questioned, he acknowledged the substance was his and explained that he had spotted activity at Six Men's and decided to seize the opportunity. Upon being taken into custody, he downplayed the offence by saying he had not injured anyone.

Justice Smith-Bovell viewed the sizeable amount of cannabis as an aggravating factor, concluding that Nicholls intended to profit financially. She also found that relocating the drugs to his apartment involved some forethought, and that the substance had been acquired unlawfully through theft. She began with a nine-year prison term, then applied a one-third reduction for his guilty plea, leaving six years behind bars.

After further reflection, however, the judge opted for a different consequence. She reasoned that Nicholls had not brought the drugs into the country himself but had simply exploited a situation. The lack of weapons, physical force, or elaborate scheming also swayed her toward a monetary punishment.

He must pay $15,000 without delay, with the remainder due by December 17, 2027. Failure to comply will result in the six-year custodial sentence being enforced. A progress hearing is set for September 25.

Safiya Moore served as defence counsel, while Acting Senior State Counsel Paul Prescod led the prosecution.

Source: Barbados Today

Source: Barbados Today