Addict jailed

In 1987 he began smoking marijuana and graduated to cocaine in 1995. Twenty-four years later Emmerson Ricardo Simmons, of King’s Village, King’s Street, St Michael has not kicked his addiction.

Today, the 55-year-old added to his list of drug convictions when he pleaded guilty before Magistrate Graveney Bannister to possession, possession with intent to supply and possession with intent to traffic 19 cocaine rocks worth $95.

Sergeant Kevin Forde told the court that police executed a search warrant at Simmons’ residence earlier today. While there they observed a bulge in his sock and requested a search. That’s when the white crystalline substance was found.

“This is my cocaine officer,” he told lawmen when asked to account for the drugs in his possession.

Simmons told the magistrate “me and the fellas does smoke cocaine”. He went on to say that he did not purchase all the drugs on his own as “We pool money together and buy [about] ten rocks a day . . . and it depends on how many fellas are there”.

Asked how many men were in the group Simmons said “six or seven” and revealed that he would take “about four [rocks].”

Simmons also said that “the fellas” where not in the dock with him because he was apprehended by himself. However, he did not divulge those names in court today. He also told the magistrate that he never received help for his addiction.

But Bannister told him that it did not appear as though he would “adequately” cope outside a structured environment when it came to treating the drug habit.

Simmons was then sentenced to 12 months in prison on the charges with an order that he attend drug counselling and rehabilitation while serving his time at HMP Dodds.

“Don’t miss the programmes,” the magistrate told Simmons adding, “With the will you can kick the habit.”