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An unemployed man who told the court that his HIV status allowed him to ingest ganja pellets weighing approximately 1.3lb was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for breaching the Dangerous Drugs Act on Tuesday.
The accused, Peter Thomp-son, 37, from a Kingston 11 address was sentenced by Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey.
In addition to the prison term, Thompson is to pay a fine of $1,900 or serve six months for possession of ganja; $3,800 or six months for dealing and $9,500 or six months for taking steps to export the drugs.
Allegations are that on Monday August 15 about 5 p.m., the accused arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston to check in on an outgoing Caribbean Airlines flight destined to Trinidad and Tobago.
During regular security procedures, the accused was stopped and searched. While being searched an interview was conducted and the accused confessed to the police that he had ingested ganja in pellets.
Subsequently, he was escorted to the bathroom where he expelled a total of 12 pellets wrapped in transparent plastic each containing vegetable matter resembling ganja.
He was later transported to the Kingston Public Hospital where he expelled another 83 pellets.
The accused, who pleaded guilty to the charges, begged for leniency and explained that, "I am a HIV patient and is someone ask mi to tek it in exchange for my medication."
However, the liaison officer told the court that the accused was a repeat offender.
