A Trinidadian who wanted to smuggle almost 170 pounds of marijuana into the island three years ago was given a starting sentence of seven years when he reappeared in the No. 3A Supreme Court yesterday.
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However, Sheldon Adimoolah’s time on remand exceeded his remaining sentence after deductions and he was given time served and handed over to immigration officials.
Adimoolah, of Ghandi Street, Marabella, Trinidad, had pleaded guilty to the charge that, within the island’s territorial waters, he had 76 kilogrammes/167.2 pounds of marijuana on October 14, 2021.
He also pleaded guilty to having a traffickable quantity of the drug and importing it on the same date.
The matters were prosecuted by Principal State Counsel Rudolph Burnett and State Counsel Treann Knight.
Justice Anthony Blackman, in imposing the sentences, said the court was supposed to consider the rehabilitation of each offender.
“That is of paramount interest, and there is no better place for him to commence his rehabilitation than in his own country along with his family and friends, and in his own environment,” he noted.
The judge said he considered the drugs weighed over 100 pounds and that there was evidence of planning and sophistication in the venture.
Fuelled by greed
He also said the act was fuelled by greed and that the offences were serious as indicated by the penalties stipulated by the legislation.
As a result, Justice Blackman said he determined that seven years was the appropriate starting point for the offences.
He then considered Adimoolah’s guilty pleas, that he had cooperated with police and that the drugs were seized before they could reach the streets of Barbados.
The judge went on to say while he could find no aggravating features relating to the offender, he considered Adimoolah’s expression of remorse, his apology to Barbadians, his previously clean record and the fact that a probation officer had deemed him as posing a low to medium risk of reoffending, as mitigating factors.
Justice Blackman then deducted one year for the mitigating features, one-third for the guilty
pleas and three months for any delay in the matter. He also deducted the 1 097 days which Adimoolah spent on remand, leaving a sentence of 270 days.
He then said the court concluded that further imprisonment was not warranted. “I think no further justice can be served by imposing a custodial sentence.”
He reprimanded and discharged Adimoolah for possession, and convicted, reprimanded and discharged him for importation.
He ordered that the time on remand be deemed the time served and released Adimoolah into the custody of immigration officials.
The court had heard that Coast Guard sailors went to an area four nautical miles off South Point Lighthouse. There, they saw a pirogue with the registration number TFCA 1255 with three men on board.
The sailors hailed those on board and ordered them to stop. The boat’s captain did so.
Nothing illegal
The men were then taken on board the Coast Guard vessel and the pirogue was searched but nothing illegal was found. They were transported to the Coast Guard base at Pelican. There, the boat was again searched and six drums, with false bottoms, were seen.
Inside the false bottoms were taped packages of marijuana. In all, there were 147 taped packages.
Co-conspirators Rondell Miklle Kendall, of Galla Street, Buccoo, Trinidad, and also of Buccoo, Tobago, and Tevin Denzil Belfon, of Studley, Tobago and Chaguanas, Trinidad, are due back in court on Friday, after they pleaded guilty to the same offences. (HLE)
