On Tuesday, 14 January, four cannabis cases were on the docket at Charlestown Magistrate Court, but only two were heard and the rest were rescheduled for the following week.[1] Kemar Francis of Bath Village and Zalima Herbert of Mount Lily were convicted of cannabis offences and ordered to pay fines in the first trial of the day.[1] The two cases were unrelated matters.[1] Magistrate Yasmine Clarke convicted Francis of possession of cannabis and fined him $2,000.[1] Herbert was convicted of possession of cannabis with intent to supply on her guilty plea and was fined $1,500.[1]

Police Prosecutor Stephen Hector said Constable Brown was on patrol on 7 January when he saw Francis near Mem’s Pizzeria and engaged him in a stop and search on suspicion of drugs.[1] Francis tried to evade Brown and threw something he claimed was dust into the nearby bushes.[1] Police searched the area but initially found nothing, then took Francis to Charlestown Police Station and cautioned him.[1] Hector said officers returned to the restaurant the next morning and found a black plastic bag containing 104 grams of cannabis in the bushes.[1] Herbert, 28, was at her boyfriend’s house on 6 December when a search warrant was executed at 7:25 a.m. and she was the only occupant.[1] The search yielded 37.3 grams of cannabis stored in three drink mix containers.[1] One container held 11 dime bags and seeds were also found in the seized amount.[1] In about a month police in Nevis had seized at least 140 grams, or nearly five ounces, of cannabis.[1]

Herbert’s boyfriend Dwayne Ferlance pleaded not guilty and the prosecutor withdrew the charges against him, leaving Herbert to face the charges alone.[2] Herbert was ordered to pay the $1,500 fine within three months or serve six months in prison in default.[2]