By Barbara Gayle,
Staff Reporter
POLICEMEN AT the Supreme Court Building, King Street, downtown Kingston, have expressed concern at the frequency with which they have to be arresting prisoners who turn up to court with ganja strapped to their bodies.
Two prisoners were arrested there earlier this week and charged with possession of ganja and dealing in ganja.
Patrick Carter, nicknamed 'City Puss', who is facing a murder charge, was arrested yesterday at the Supreme Court Building. He was being searched by a district constable when seven sticks of ganja and two spliffs (ganja cigarettes) were found in his underpants, the police say.
On Monday, Marcus Reid, a prisoner who is charged with murder was held with 72 sticks of ganja, the police said. A constable said he was escorting Reid to the courtroom when he noticed Reid walking in a "funny way". Suspecting that something was wrong he took Reid back to the cell at the Supreme Court Building and searched him and found the ganja hidden between his legs, the policeman said.
Reid was charged with possession of ganja and dealing in ganja. He is to go before the Corporate Area Criminal Court at Half-way Tree on November 3.
Det. Insp. Ivanhoe Thompson, who is in charge of security at the Supreme Court Building, said yesterday that the prisoners who are found with the drug are those who are in custody at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, central Kingston. He said that every week prisoners were charged with possession of ganja and it was now cause for concern how the prisoners were getting the ganja.
Det. Insp. Thompson said those prisoners took the ganja to court to sell to prisoners from other lock-ups.
He said that earlier this year he charged a prisoner who came to court with 110 sticks of ganja, hidden in three scooped-out oranges in a plastic bag.
The prisoner was charged with possession of ganja and dealing in ganja. He pleaded guilty to the charges when he was taken before the Criminal Court at Half-way Tree.
"I want it to be made abundantly clear that prisoners who come to the Supreme Court with ganja will be arrested and charged," Mr. Thompson said.
