By Marcia Scott
A Canadian couple was on April 18 jailed for one year and two years respectively in a Jamaican prison after they were caught attempting to smuggle cocaine through the Sangster International Airport.
Marlon Lammie, a 25 year-old pilot student and his 22 year-old girlfriend, Lesonja Walsh, both of Toronto, pleaded guilty to possession, dealing and attempting to export the illicit substance when they appeared before the Montego Bay RM Court.
Lammie was fined $525,000.00 or six months imprisonment on all charges and was sentenced to a mandatory two-year prison term while Walsh was fined $450,000.00 or six months imprisonment and will serve a mandatory prison term of twelve months.
In mitigation, the couple’s attorney Adrian Dayes said that Lammie was invited to travel to Jamaica and was given the impression that he would be taking back money instead of drugs and was promised Cdn$15,000.00 to carry out the task.
Dayes further stated that Walsh had no idea about the arrangement and that having found out that it was an illicit substance, Lammie asked her to carry a portion to which she complied.
Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small pointed out to the attorney that Lammie undertook the venture knowing that it was illegal and unfortunately got his girlfriend involved but made reference to the fact that she allowed herself to be persuaded which also makes her responsible.
In her response to council, RM Wong-Small also pointed out that Lammie, who also works with a transportation company, has potential as well as a good job and said it was undiluted greed that placed him in this situation. She added that he was selfish to get his girlfriend involved which had affected her life.
In handing down sentence the magistrate took into consideration their early plea of guilty and the circumstances under which Walsh came to be in this situation.
On February 6, 2012 about 10:00am, the investigating officer was reportedly on counter-narcotic duties at the Sangster International Airport and carrying out security checks on a flight to Toronto, when she approached Walsh and conducted a search of her person. During the search, a hard object was felt in her pelvic area and when asked if she knew what it was she told the officer that she was carrying “that thing” but didn’t know what it was.
She was taken to the search room where her brassiere was removed and two packages with cocaine were found inside the cups. An additional two packages were also found inside her underwear.
Lammie was also approached and searched and two packages with a similar substance were found inside his underpants.
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