A nursing assistant who claimed she was just a passenger in a car in which police allegedly found a gun, ammunition and $20 worth of cocaine has been granted $20,000 bail.
Nadine Shah, 44, charged together with Barry Brown, 37, and Kendell McIntosh, 42, appeared before San Fernando Second Court Magistrate Margaret Alert on Thursday charged with possession of a pistol, three rounds of ammunition and 0.2 grammes of cocaine.
They were arrested on Monday at Gulf View, La Romaine, near Pizza Hut. The police stopped the car they were in, searched it and allegedly found the gun, ammunition and cocaine.
They were charged by PC Trevor Rampersad.
McIntosh pleaded guilty to the cocaine charge while Shah and Brown pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor Sgt Denzil Alexander said around 11.20 am the police stopped the car, searched it and found the cocaine in the console in the centre of both front seats.
Asking for leniency, attorney James Philbert said McIntosh, employed at the City Corporation has three children and is the sole breadwinner in his family.
He said McIntosh was not a cocaine user, but applied cocaine on the skin when doing tattoos.
McIntosh had no pending or previous convictions. Taking into consideration the small quantum, the magistrate said if he had three times the amount it would just be worth $60. She reprimanded and discharged him.
However, he was granted $50,000 approval bail or a $15,000 cash bail alternative on the other two charges. Attorney Subhas Panday, who represented both Shah and Brown, asked for reasonable bail for his clients.
He said Shah had two children and was a first time offender.
Panday said she boarded the car in San Fernando to be taken to Gulf View to do business. Brown, he said, also works at the City Corporation, was also a first time offender and has a five-year-old child.
Brown was granted $75,000 approval bail or a cash alternative of $20,000. They are to reappear in court May 4.
