Cayman accountant fined $2,300 for ganja after telling police he was God's prophet

A Jamaican-born accountant was fined $2,300 in Summary Court after police discovered cannabis plants and 1.5lbs of ganja in his Lantern Point apartment.

Accountant shows police his ganja plants, claims divine mission

A Jamaican national working as an accountant in the Cayman Islands has been fined $2,300 in Summary Court after police discovered several cannabis plants and approximately 1.5lbs of ganja at his Lantern Point apartment, according to Cayman News Service.

Delbert Uriah Beoton, who has lived in Cayman for more than 20 years with no prior criminal record, avoided a custodial sentence following the ruling earlier this month.

The discovery came under unusual circumstances. Officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service had called at his home to distribute RCIP flyers when Beoton told them he was a prophet sent by God and possessed a cure for COVID-19. He then voluntarily walked them through his apartment, including the area where he was growing the cannabis. The officers informed him that cannabis without a prescription is illegal.

Defence attorney Keith Myers told the court that his client had immediately apologised and cooperated fully with the police investigation. Myers described the circumstances as "bizarre and puzzling" and appealed for mercy, requesting a conditional discharge.

Chief Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez declined that request. While noting that Beoton had been charged only with possession and consumption — not cultivation — Hernandez observed that he was essentially "cultivating and distilling" the drug. She handed down the $2,300 fine, giving Beoton one month to pay or face two weeks in prison by default.

Source: Cayman News Service