Delivery driver gets 10 months for cocaine smuggling
Published:Wednesday | June 21, 2023 | 1:21 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
GAIRY GRAHAM, the St Elizabeth man who was arrested for trying to smuggle 5.5 kilogrammes of cocaine on a flight to London, England, at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on June 8, was yesterday sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment by the St James Parish Court.
Graham, a 49-year-old delivery driver of a Thornton, St Elizabeth address, received the term of imprisonment from presiding Judge Sasha-Marie Ashley during his sentencing hearing, after previously pleading guilty to possession of, dealing in, and attempting to export cocaine.
In mitigating on Graham’s behalf, his attorney Martyn Thomas pointed out that the defendant embarked on the attempted trafficking of cocaine in an effort to fulfil financial obligations.
“He decided to embark on this venture because of mounting bills, plus he works two jobs in the United Kingdom and also drives the bus on weekends. He also bought a delivery truck which he is about to lose, and his mortgage was in arrears, so he is about to lose his home,” Thomas explained, regarding Graham’s motivation.
“He decided to embark on this venture, quite foolishly, and he has been remorseful ever since, not because he was caught, but because he broke the law. He cooperated with the police from the minute that he was arrested, and he accepted the Crown’s account of what took place, and he is begging the court for leniency,” Thomas added.
JUDGE’S RULING
In addition to the mandatory 10-month prison term, Graham was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine or spend four months behind bars for possession of cocaine, and $1 million or 10 months for attempting to export cocaine. He was admonished and discharged for dealing in cocaine.
While handing down Graham’s sentence, Judge Ashley noted that there have been a number of cocaine-related cases before the court in recent times, including instances of persons trying to smuggle the contraband into Britain, and that a strong message must be sent against the practice.
The facts are that on June 8, Graham checked in at the Sangster International Airport to board a flight to London, England. His luggage was screened at the security checkpoint and a false compartment was discovered.
Further checks of the luggage revealed that the false compartment contained a white substance resembling cocaine, with an estimated street value of £170,000 (J$33.5 million).
Graham was detained, and under caution he reportedly said, “I was told I would get £10,000 on delivery”, following which he was formally charged on June 10.
Prior to Graham’s conviction, eight persons were arrested in May in relation to several separate cases of attempting to smuggle varying amounts of cocaine through the Sangster International Airport onto flights destined for Birmingham and London in England. Of the eight persons, five have so far been convicted and sentenced before the St James Parish Court.
Aside from those convictions, British national Ashanta Ferguson was given a 12-month prison term and ordered to pay a $1.5-million fine on May 22, after pleading guilty to attempting to smuggle four and a half pounds of cocaine onto a London-bound flight at the Sangster International Airport on November 19, 2022.