by Tashieka Mair, Star Writer

western bureau:

An ex-convict who returned to Jamaica in June after serving part of a 12-year sentence for cocaine possession in England, has found himself in prison after he tried to leave the island with ganja in his stomach.

James Wright, a 33-year-old welder of May Pen in Clarendon, was sentenced to six months imprisonment at hard labour. He was also fined $18,800 or six months after he pleaded guilty to possession of 750 grams of ganja when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate last Friday.

The court learnt that Wright returned to Jamaica from England on June 18 after serving five years and seven months behind bars.

Wright apologised for his behaviour and told RM Wilson-Smith that he lost his job after he chose to take care of his ailing mother. He said that he has made numerous attempts to get another job but has been unsuccessful.

However, RM Smith dismissed his explanation saying that Wright had no regard for himself.

"It makes no sense you tell me that you want to care of someone when you don't have any regard for yourself," the RM told him.

Wright was also fined $2,000 for possession, $4,800 for dealing and $12,000 for attempting to export.

The facts are that narcotics police at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. James, interviewed Wright who had checked in to board an Air Jamaica flight to Curaçao on August 12.

He admitted that he had ingested drugs and was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he passed out 81 pellets of ganja weighing approximately 750 grams.