Courtroom Briefs

Hairdresser Stephanie Deroche, 33, of Belmont yesterday pleaded guilty before a Port-of-Spain magistrate to a charge of possession of marijuana. Deroche was subsequently fined $3,500.

Tenth Court prosecutor Sgt Logan told presiding Magistrate Debby-Ann Bassaw that at about 9.35 pm on April 29, police on mobile patrol observed Deroche smoking in the non-smoking area of Club Prosperity in Port-of-Spain.

During a search, the officers found in the woman’s handbag, a container with a blue cover which contained 24 packets of marijuana. Derouche was arrested and taken to the Belmont Police Station where WPC Leader charged her.

Deroche who was not represented by an attorney begged the court for a chance saying she is a first-time offender, was sorry and would not break the law again. Magistrate Bassaw later imposed the fine or in default, serve nine months imprisonment. Deroche was allowed a week in which to pay the fine.

Claxton Bay man

to pay $7,000

Barry Lutchman, 32, of Sum Sum Hill, Claxton Bay, was yesterday ordered by a San Fernando magistrate to pay a fine of $7,000, for driving under the influence of alcohol. After Lutchman pleaded guilty, the court prosecutor told Magistrate Rihana Hosein,

that at about 3.30 pm on Saturday last, PC Devon Ragbir, saw a car swerving from side to side along the Southern Main Road in Claxton Bay.

The driver Lutchman was made to take a breath test which revealed 206 microgrammes per 100 millilitre of breath. He was later charged. Hosein ordered Lutchman to pay the fine immediately or serve nine months in prison with hard labour.

Murder accused claims

prison beating

Accused Kelvin Wallace, one of four men charged for the February 18 murder of Sgt Hayden Manwarin, on Monday complained to a San Fernando magistrate that he is being beaten in prison.

Wallace stood before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington along with Kofi Cropper, 40, Kerron Nicholas Garcia, 19, and Anthony Clement, 37 — all charged with Manwarin’s murder. They are also charged with possession of a gun and ammunition.

Wallace complained to Wellington that he was beaten up after being placed in a cell by a prison officer at Golden Grove Prisons. “Sir, prisons officers are against us. Will you do something? One prisoner threatened to chop me up. I was beaten by a prisoner who told me, ‘This is for Manwarin’,” Wallace complained.

Wellington advised Wallace that he has the option of taking legal action against the beating. The cases were adjourned to June 28.

2 men fined for

stealing from man

Two men were yesterday fined a total of $10,000 by a Port-of-Spain magistrate after they pleaded guilty to a charge of larceny. Mawuli Collins, 31, and Verne Solomon, 28, appeared before Magistrate Gloria Jasmath in the 11th Court.

Court prosecutor Sgt Azad Ali said that on March 19, 2012 at 5.45 am Donald Ferguson left his Santa Cruz home and returned to discover his home broken into and items valued at $46,329 missing. Ferguson later made a report at the San Juan Police Station.

On March 25 of that year, a search warrant was executed at the home of several persons including Collins. When interrogated by officers, Collins confessed to stealing the items.

All of Ferguson’s belongings were subsequently recovered and police charged Collins and Solomon with house breaking and larceny.

When Collins’ attorney sought to explain his client’s action by saying Ferguson had owed Collins about $35,000 for construction work done, Jasmath asked the attorney if he (the attorney) was endorsing Collins’ criminal action, to which the lawyer replied, “no, your honour.”

Jasmath told both accused men to apologize to Ferguson. She then fined them $5,000 each, with a month to pay or in default serve nine months in prison with hard labour.