Farmer Edwards fined $3,500 for growing weed

Vowing to “go out there and work”, a 56-year-old St Michael farmer admitted to having drugs and told a Bridgetown  Magistrate today: “I will try to do better.”

Julius Alexander Edwards of Chapel Gap, Spooners Hill, St Michael, pleaded guilty to four drug charges when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before Acting Magistrate, Anika Jackson.

The charges are that on January 23, 2019, he had cannabis; trafficked in it; intended to supply it and unlawfully cultivated it.

According to the facts outlined by Prosecutor PC Kenmore Phillips, armed with a search warrant, lawmen went to Edwards’ home and found a number of plants suspected to be cannabis on a mattress, some on a line drying and others in two enclosed areas in the yard.

He admitted ownership.

When the acting magistrate examined Edwards’ conviction card, she observed that his first offence of illegal possession of cannabis was in 1985 and others that were not similar.

Stating that his last offence was more than 30 years ago, she noted that the present ones were serious, adding that there were 139 plants weighing about 400 grams with an estimated street value of $2,000.

For possession, Edwards was convicted, reprimanded and discharged and for trafficking and supplying he was reprimanded and discharged.

However, for cultivating, he was fined $3,500 in four months or four months in prison.