St Elizabeth farmer’s cocaine case to continue November 13
Published:Monday | October 23, 2023 | 12:08 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
A St Elizabeth man who was arrested in September 2021, after more than five kilogrammes of cocaine was allegedly found in his vehicle in Bogue Village, Montego Bay, is to return to the St James Parish Court on November 13 for the continuation of his trial.
Leo Daley, a 41-year-old farmer of a Kilmarnock, St Elizabeth address, was given the new court date and had his bail extended during his most recent court appearance on Friday.
Daley is currently being tried on the charges of possession of and conspiracy to traffic 5.8 kilogrammes of cocaine. He is also charged with illegal possession of ammunition.
During the case’s brief mention before presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Ashley on Friday, it was disclosed that Daley’s attorney, Martyn Thomas, was requesting a new court date as he would not be in attendance due to being engaged in another court case before another judge.
As a result, Ashley set the matter for continuation on November 13 and extended Daley’s bail to that date.
According to the allegations, on September 8, 2021, a police team acting on information went to Bogue Village on the outskirts of Montego Bay, St James, where they saw a grey Honda motor car being driven by Daley. The vehicle was searched and five packages with a white powdery substance resembling cocaine, along with a .6mm cartridge, were found.
Under caution, Daley reportedly said, “Miss, a one kilogramme mi have inna di car, and mi sey a drugs,” and he was subsequently arrested and charged.
Passenger acquitted
A woman who was reportedly a passenger in Daley’s vehicle, later identified as Shereen Stewart, was also arrested and charged alongside Daley for possession of and conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Following several court appearances, she was acquitted of the charges on July 23 this year after her attorney Andrew Dixon made a successful no-case submission on her behalf.
In his submission at that time, Dixon noted that one of the police witnesses in the case had previously testified that Stewart denied knowledge of the cocaine. He also posited that the evidence was insufficient to concretely prove that the female defendant had knowledge of the cocaine being in the vehicle at the time it was reportedly found by the police.
Regarding Daley, Thomas was expected to also make a no-case submission on his behalf on September 11 this year. However, on that court date, the matter was put off to September 20 as Thomas was involved in a part-heard case before another court. The matter was then further put off to October 3, and eventually to Friday’s date.