Teen gets four years, fined $53.1M for cannabis allegedly the property of murdered man  

A 19-year-old unemployed woman was Friday sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $53.1 million for the possession of cannabis, which she claimed belonged to Roy Anthony Charles called “Skiddle”, who was gunned down on Durban Street recently.

Marlena Emptage of Norton Street, Wortmanville appeared before City Magistrate Leron Daly and admitted that on January 18, at her home, she had 59 kilograms of cannabis in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Emptage was charged jointly with her boyfriend, Tyriq Gentle and her sister, Yvette Robinson.  However, Emptage took ownership of the drugs and told the court that the other accused had no knowledge of the crime.

Based on this development, the charge was withdrawn against Gentle and Robinson by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) prosecutor, Richard Harris.

According to the CANU prosecutor, on the day in question, ranks conducted an operation at Norton Street and went to Emptage’s home where they searched her bedroom.

The ranks found three bags that contained the cannabis, along with more in the living room.  A wanted bulletin was issued for the trio’s arrest, and they later reported to CANU headquarters.

Under caution, Emptage told CANU ranks, “It was given to me by a man name Skiddle to keep. I was paid $100,000. It was never returned to him because he was shot dead.”

In her address to the court, she said “ I am sorry for the crime I committed. This will never happen again” as she begged the Magistrate for leniency.

Magistrate Daly sentenced Emptage to four years imprisonment along with a fine of $53,100,000.

On January 9, 2023, Charles was fatally shot during a drive-by shooting by men in a old model grey Allion motorcar, while he was walking with a friend along Durban Street.

According to the Police, Charles, a labourer, was shot 12 times – three times to his neck, twice to his jaw, twice to the forehead, once to his left hand, twice to his lower back and twice to his shoulder.

Charles was cleaning drains in the area along with Dexter Lawrence, a 43-year-old labourer. The men were heading in a western direction to buy alcohol when the motorcar approached from behind and started shooting at them.

Police said Lawrence started running and managed to escape. He told investigators that when he looked back, he saw the car stopped and a man wearing a dark-coloured hoodie exited and riddled Charles with bullets.

Investigation into Charles murder is still ongoing.