British woman fined, jailed for ganja

No. 23 Wednesday, November 25, 2009

After she tried unsuccessfully to smuggle over 20 pounds of marijuana from the island, Donna Pritchard will spend the next 12 months in a Jamaican prison.
Pritchard, 32, of Tividale, England, was also fined $116,000 and could spend a further three months behind bars if the fine is not paid.
  She pleaded guilty to possession, dealing and attempting to export ganja.
  In mitigation, Pritchard's attorney Martyn Thomas explained in details the woman's peculiar circumstance that prompted her to commit the offence.
  The attorney also said she was the mother of two children and requested leniency on her behalf.
  In handing down sentence, Resident Magistrate Vivienne Harris said the discount on Pritchard's sentence has to be balanced against her previous conviction for similar offence.
  She is reported to have one previous conviction for a similar offence.
  For possession of the drug, she was fined $12,000 or 3 months and $24,000 or three months on the dealing charge. For attempting to export the drug, she was fined $80,000 or three months in addition to doing a mandatory 12-month prison term at hard labour.
  Reports are that on November 10, 2009, Pritchard was in the process of checking in to board a flight to London from the Sangster International Airport when she was searched.
  She was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where she was x-rayed and released.
  On her arrival back at the airport, she was searched at the boarding gate and 24&half pound of the weed was found inside her carry-on luggage.

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