A MECHANIC who accepted responsibility for his role in the trafficking of $521,000 worth of marijuana had resorted to the drug trade because he had fallen on hard times, a magistrate was told yesterday.

Jerome McPhee, 29, of Fire Trail Road appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes alongside 42-year-old Ryan Butler accused of conspiring to possess and possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

While Butler pleaded not guilty to the charges, McPhee admitted guilt to both allegations concerning a March 17 seizure.

Police prosecutor Supt. Ercell Dorsett told Magistrate Forbes that officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) had been conducting surveillance in the Joe Farrington area when they observed “a person place objects in a Ford Taurus before it left their location”.

Officers passed on information of the vehicle and occupant to other officers who pursued and later stopped it. Officers searched and found the suspected narcotics and took McPhee, who acknowledged the drugs in the vehicle, into custody.

When interviewed at DEU, he again acknowledged having knowledge of the drugs, which led to him being charged.

McPhee has no previous convictions, the prosecutor said.

“Do you accept those facts Mr. McPhee?” the magistrate asked.

“Yes sir,” the accused answered.

His lawyer, Jomo Campbell, made a plea in mitigation on his behalf, noting that his client was “a 29-year-old Bahamian citizen and he’s an expecting father Your Worship.”

He stressed that his client admitted guilt at the earliest opportunity, prior to arrest.

“That in itself speaks for his remorse and he has saved the court considerable time and resources and he has not burdened his relatives with legal expenses. He also expressed to me that he wished to apologise to his family who are present for putting them through this,” Mr. Campbell stressed.

The lawyer acknowledged that the amount of drugs was significant. “This is not one of the substantially larger amounts when looking at the cases that have come before this court.

“He was a mechanic who has since fallen on hard times. Cars have piled up in the yard as patrons are unable to pay. He thought of this as a means to make quick money. He admitted it’s a poor choice in judgment,” the lawyer said.

Mr. Campbell concluded that the court had wide discretion concerning punishment and suggested that the court did not have to further add an inmate to an already over-crowded prison.

Though Magistrate Forbes acknowledged McPhee’s lack of antecedents and early admission of guilt as mitigating factors in his favour, “the aggravating factors are that we’re not dealing with any insignificant amount of drugs.

“Auxiliary issues arise when persons are trafficking that amount, there’s usually violence involved as persons seek to protect their property,” the magistrate said.

He said a sentence of three years - on each count and to run concurrently - would be appropriate.

Butler, meanwhile, was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services without bail as he will stand trial on May 19. He has retained Roberto Reckley to represent him.

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

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