Fifty-eight-year-old Courtney Demonick appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus Friday and pleaded guilty to the possession of 89.23 kilograms of cannabis and 20 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Demonick is one of three persons who were arrested when ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) raided a house at Lot 82 St. Stephen Street, Charlestown, Georgetown on January 29.
He was also charged with having 1.564 kilograms of cannabis in his possession on the same day and location. He pleaded guilty to this charge as well.
As such, he was immediately sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $8.4 million.
His co-accused Ebony Craig, 23, of 17 Lamaha Springs, was also charged, however, following his guilty plea, CANU Prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford asked that the charge against Craig is discharged, to which the Magistrate agreed.
Sandiford told the court that on the day in question, Demonick was under surveillance by CANU at his Charlestown home.
He was observed exiting the premises with a black bag and took same to a minibus.
According to the Prosecutor, Demonick returned to the house and exited with another black plastic bag, this time taking same to motor car PPP 3008.
The CANU ranks intercepted Demonick and took him back to the car where 1.564 kilograms of marijuana were found.
The drug enforcement authorities then obtained a search warrant for his house when they found 89.23 kilograms of cannabis and 20 grams of cocaine inside the kitchen and bedroom area.
In court, Demonick apologized for his actions and told the court that he did it to take care of his children.
“I have a little son, who is four and he suffers from bronchitis and I have to take care of him… I know it was a bad choice, but it was a choice I had to make when it come to my children,” the man told the Court.
The Magistrate, after considering Demonick’s early guilty plea and the fact that he cooperated with CANU during the investigation, deducted 12 months from the sentence.
On the second charge, he was fined $50,000 along with one-year imprisonment. The sentences will run concurrently.
