WESTERN BUREAU:

A computer programmer who was caught trafficking 94 pounds of ganja in a car he had rented, was sentenced to 30 days at hard labour and fined over half a million dollars when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

pleaded guilty

Clarence Howard of Kent Avenue, St Catherine, was sentenced after pleading guilty to possession, dealing in and trafficking ganja.

Defence attorney Adrian Dayes pleaded with Resident Magistrate Viviene Harris to consider a non-custodial sentence for the accused claiming that his client 'embarked on a venture that would put him in better financial standing' as he was faced with some outstanding debts. He also asked the RM to be lenient for the sake of Howard's four children who are all minors.

searched

However, RM Harris said she did not hear any arguments in the mitigation plea that could persuade her not to send the accused to prison. however, she lowered the custodial sentence and increased the fines to show her displeasure of the accused man's actions.

He was fined $15,000 or three months for possession, $150,000 or six months for dealing and $350,000 or six months for trafficking ganja.

The facts are that on April 17 about 11 p.m, the police stopped a car being driven by the accused along the Montpelier main road. The car was searched and the ganja found in the trunk.