Jason Roopnarine, an out-of-work Penal father, was jailed for nine months yesterday after he pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and cocaine which was found stashed in his six-month-old daughter’s crib. The child’s mother, Alana Sahadeo, who was jointly charged with him for possession of the drugs for trafficking, pleaded not guilty when they appeared before Magistrate Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds in the San Fernando Sixth Magistrate’s Court.
Sahadeo, 20, was granted her own bail in the sum of $20,000 and is due to reappear on April 17. She was represented by attorney Ainsley Lucky. The court heard from Prosecutor Sgt Gordon Maharaj that around 8.40 am on Wednesday police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home at Cuchawan Trace, Debe. The cops found a black plastic bag with 24 clear packages and 35 red packages, containing marijuana and a can with 70 pieces of foil in a clear plastic bag, containing cocaine. The items were stashed in a crib in a bedroom. When Roopnarine, 22, appeared before Ramsumair-Hinds, he pleaded guilty and gave his reason for having the drugs in his possession for being out of work since the beginning of the year.
He told the court, as a father, he had to provide milk and pampers for his child. He said being out of work, he had borrowed a lot of money and his friend gave him the drugs on Monday to help him clear his debts. The magistrate sarcastically asked if his partner was a good Samaritan and enquired if he had made any attempt to find employment at a supermarket, warehouse or gas station.
Roopnarine said he sought employment, unsuccessfully, at several places in Debe.
She chastised him, saying he had endangered the lives of his family by making the silly excuse that he was looking after their needs. “That is a foolhardy and foolish excuse. You need to get honest work, no matter how little it pays. There is work available,” she added. She also chided him for the poor example being set for his child that when things were hard you made a living selling drugs.