Penalty too high, St. George's man complains

Two men were each fined $1,500 in Magistrates' Court on Friday for having cannabis in their possession.

Sean McInnes, 26, of Cedarhurst Place, Southampton, was fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to possessing six grams of cannabis last November.

Crown counsel Nicole Smith said Police on mobile patrol on Ord Road, Paget, were informed that a car with the licence plate "Buzz" smelled very strongly of cannabis.

When Police caught up to the car, it was parked outside Warwick Camp.

Police saw two men wearing camouflaged uniforms getting out of the car and McInnes had the keys in his hand.

Police found a clear plastic bag containing a green plant-like material, cigarette papers, scissors and two "roaches" in the driver's-side door.

McInnes was arrested and brought to Hamilton Police Station, Ms Smith said.

McInnes was ordered to pay the fine by May 27 or spend three months in prison.

Dejuan Vincent Landy, 23, of Great Bay Road, St. George's, pleaded guilty to having 0.49 grams of cannabis in his back pocket when he was stopped by Police last August on Cooper's Island Road, St. George's.

Ms Smith said Police stopped Landy because he looked nervous.

He was also fined $100 for not having a valid driver's licence.

Ms Smith told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner that Landy had previous convictions of a similar nature.

But Landy complained to the Magistrate that he thought his fines were too high.

"You may not think you should be fined," Mr. Warner said. "But you've got money to buy weed."

'Virgin drinker' leaves Island $1,000 poorer

A lawyer urged a Magistrate to be lenient on a guest worker who had been caught driving while impaired because the driver was a "virgin drinker".

Juan Canales-Medina, 28, of Valley Cottages, Paget, pleaded guilty to driving a livery cycle on Crow Lane, Paget, on April 7 while his ability was impaired by alcohol or drugs.

But lawyer Ed Bailey told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner the man was new to the Island and was not accustomed to strong drink.

"I urge you to take into account he is a virgin drinker," Mr. Bailey said.

Canales-Medina said he lives in Toronto and left the Island on Friday.

Mr. Warner fined him $1,000 and disqualified him from driving all vehicles for 12 months.

He ordered Canales-Medina to pay the $1,000 by tomorrow or spend three months in prison.

Man denies sexual assault on daughter

A 42-year-old man pleaded not guilty in Magistrates' Court on Friday to sexually assaulting his daughter.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied getting his daughter to touch him for sexual purposes, sometime between March 1 and March 31 in Devonshire.

He also denied touching his daughter for sexual purposes on those the same dates.

Crown counsel Wayne Caines said the man was also being charged with an alternative charge of sexual assault. The man said he was innocent of this alternative charge as well.

He was granted bail of $5,000 with one surety of a like amount and will re-appear in Magistrates' Court for trial on June 28.