An emotional woman who cried throughout her court hearing was this afternoon charged and remanded for allegedly trafficking marijuana into the Camp Street Prison.
Twenty-six-year-old Shondel Watson of ‘C’ Field, Sophia appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. She denied the charged which stated that on June 27, 2019, at the Camp Street Prison, Georgetown, she had in her possession 314 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Facts presented by Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman stated that on the day in question at around 08:20 hrs, a Senior Prison Officer saw the woman acting in a suspicious manner. Hence, a search was conducted on her and a brown parcel was found in the waistband of her skirt. A further search was conducted in her handbag and two parcels were found in a yellow bowl. Watson was then arrested and charged.
Watson, who was unable to speak clearly because she was crying, told the court today that on the day in question when she arrived at the prison she subjected herself to a search at the gate and was allowed to pass in. She further added that she left her bag with the guard and went to the washroom. On her return from the washroom, the woman said two officers approached her and requested to carry out a search on her possession.
She further went on to tell the court that an officer told her that leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be marijuana were found wrapped in tape and concealed in the waistband of her skirt. She was then taken to a room where she said the officers strip-searched her and did not find anything. Watson added that after the strip search, another officer went into her handbag and pulled out a lunch bowl that was said to have two parcels of marijuana inside.
The defendant is contending that on the day in question she did not have a bowl in her bag and she has no knowledge of the marijuana.
Prosecutor Blackman made serious objections to bail being granted to Watson on the grounds that she had knowledge, control, and possession of the illegal substance. The magistrate, after listening to the facts, remanded the woman to prison until July 2.
