‘Shock’ treatment for man on drug charge

An 18-year-old man was remanded in custody for marijuana possession yesterday after a Port-of-Spain Magistrate decided he needed a “sharp shock” to realise the consequences of his actions.

Ricardo Phillip, a construction worker, of Upper Ninth Avenue, Barataria, pleaded guilty to possession of 49.5 grammes of marijuana before Senior Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim. The court heard that police officers were on mobile patrol duty at Seventh Avenue, Malick, last Friday, when they saw Phillip acting in a suspicious manner. When they searched Phillip, they found 11 foil packets of marijuana in his right pants pocket. He was arrested and charged by PC Acres of the Morvant Police Station.

Defence attorney Patrick Godson-Phillip told the magistrate Phillip bought the marijuana for a “weekend smoke” for some friends. He said it took the “sharp shock” of being arrested to bring home the seriousness of the offence to Phillip. However, Magistrate Lee Kim said when Phillip had appeared before her on Monday and she remanded him to reappear, he “steupsed” because she was not going to deal with the matter at the time. She said even with his attorney present, Phillip was looking around the courtroom like he had other things on his mind. The magistrate said Phillip needed “a slightly longer sharp shock” and she would postpone sentencing to a later date. At the urging of his attorney, Phillip apologised for his actions. However, the magistrate said she wanted to cement the experience in his mind and adjourned the matter to Friday.