HIV WOMAN JAILED FOR COKE

A 39-year-old woman, who confessed to being HIV positive, was jailed for nine months yesterday. Her pleas to be given a chance were to no avail. Susan Gooralal, a mother of  two, charged with possession of cocaine, pleaded guilty before Second Court Magistrate Sonia Aleong. In pleading for leniency, the accused said her mother, who she first met five years ago, returned to the country on Tuesday night to stand by her side.

Gooralal, who came out of jail two years ago after serving five years for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, pleaded with the magistrate not to send her to jail because she had to take care of her children and she wanted to spend some time with her mother. Ag Sgt Josey Samaroo, who led the prosecution’s case, said around 4.15 am on Friday the accused was sitting at Carlton Centre, San Fernando, when she spotted a marked police vehicle. The accused, the court heard, got up and started to walk away. The lawmen became suspicious, stopped, searched the accused and found a cocaine rock, weighing 0.2 grammes, in her right front shirt pocket. She was arrested and charged for the offence.