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A mother of seven has been jailed for 18 months after a court found her guilty of being in possession of illicit drugs.
Tongan national Lose Helu, 42, had told police that she had to sell 291.2 grams of marijuana to pay for her rent.
Helu who lives in Toorak pleaded guilty to being in possession of illicit drugs.
On May 20, 2006, police received information that Helu had drugs with her at the South Seas Hotel at Williamson Road in Suva.
Police later found three plastic bags containing marijuana on her. One was tucked at the back of her jeans, another in her underwear and another between her thighs. A packet of adhesive tape and five empty plastic bags were found in her bag.
She told police that she was selling the drugs and that she was not a user herself.
In mitigation, she said she was here in Fiji operating a stall at the flea market selling tapa. She said she had seven children, the youngest of whom is 11. She said five of them lived in Fiji.
Helu said her husband was an alcoholic who failed to supply her with tapa to sell.
She said in desperation, she went to a drug dealer who asked her to transport the drugs for him in exchange for money he owed her. Helu asked for a non-custodial sentence so she could return to Tonga with her children. High Court judge Justice Nazhat Shameem said the maximum sentence for being in possession of any illicit drug is life imprisonment or a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both.
She said the wide discretion allowed the court to develop tariffs for sentencing in drugs cases, depending on the type of drug possessed, the purpose of the possession, and the characteristics of the offender.
"You possessed a significant amount of marijuana. 291.2 grams is not small scale possession," said Justice Shameem.
"However, there is no evidence to suggest that you are a habitual supplier or dealer. I consider three years imprisonment to be an appropriate starting point." The sentence was then reduced in favour of Helu's early guilty plea, her remorse, good character and her co-operation with the police.
"The aggravating factors are that the supply was obviously planned because you hid the drugs on your person, and the large amount you had with you," said Justice Shameem.
NewsHawk: _qWERTY - 420 Magazine
Source: FijiTimesOnline
Pubdate: August 29, 2006
Copyright: 2006 Fiji Times Limited.
Contact: webstaff@fijitimes.com.fj
Website: Fiji Times Online - Fiji News, Sport and Weather from the pages of The Fiji Times
Tongan national Lose Helu, 42, had told police that she had to sell 291.2 grams of marijuana to pay for her rent.
Helu who lives in Toorak pleaded guilty to being in possession of illicit drugs.
On May 20, 2006, police received information that Helu had drugs with her at the South Seas Hotel at Williamson Road in Suva.
Police later found three plastic bags containing marijuana on her. One was tucked at the back of her jeans, another in her underwear and another between her thighs. A packet of adhesive tape and five empty plastic bags were found in her bag.
She told police that she was selling the drugs and that she was not a user herself.
In mitigation, she said she was here in Fiji operating a stall at the flea market selling tapa. She said she had seven children, the youngest of whom is 11. She said five of them lived in Fiji.
Helu said her husband was an alcoholic who failed to supply her with tapa to sell.
She said in desperation, she went to a drug dealer who asked her to transport the drugs for him in exchange for money he owed her. Helu asked for a non-custodial sentence so she could return to Tonga with her children. High Court judge Justice Nazhat Shameem said the maximum sentence for being in possession of any illicit drug is life imprisonment or a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both.
She said the wide discretion allowed the court to develop tariffs for sentencing in drugs cases, depending on the type of drug possessed, the purpose of the possession, and the characteristics of the offender.
"You possessed a significant amount of marijuana. 291.2 grams is not small scale possession," said Justice Shameem.
"However, there is no evidence to suggest that you are a habitual supplier or dealer. I consider three years imprisonment to be an appropriate starting point." The sentence was then reduced in favour of Helu's early guilty plea, her remorse, good character and her co-operation with the police.
"The aggravating factors are that the supply was obviously planned because you hid the drugs on your person, and the large amount you had with you," said Justice Shameem.
NewsHawk: _qWERTY - 420 Magazine
Source: FijiTimesOnline
Pubdate: August 29, 2006
Copyright: 2006 Fiji Times Limited.
Contact: webstaff@fijitimes.com.fj
Website: Fiji Times Online - Fiji News, Sport and Weather from the pages of The Fiji Times
