A drug mule was yesterday sentenced to four years imprisonment at hard labour, while another had his case put off for sentencing in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court. Both cocaine couriers were held at the Norman Manley International Airport by plainclothes narcotics police officers.

Nadine Earle, 32 year-old resident of Ferlando Road in Spanish Town, was sentenced to four years at hard labour for taking steps to export cocaine. In addition, Earle was fined $300,000 or six months for possession of cocaine and $350,000 or six months for taking steps to export.

Earle, who had tendered travel documents which bore the name Jasneth Laurde, was also charged with forgery, uttering forged documents and conspiracy to deceive. She was fined $50,000 on the first two charges and was acquitted of the conspiracy to deceive as there was not sufficient evidence for the prosecution to pursue the charge.

The court was told that on Friday, October 25, at approximately 7:30 pm, Earle was about to board Air Jamaica flight number 001 to England. She was accosted in the intransit lounge at the Norman Manley International Airport by a police officer from the narcotics division who requested a search of her person. However, no contraband was found on the woman’s person. A preliminary test was then carried out on her which showed positive results that she had ingested cocaine.

The woman was then taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where an x-ray was performed. Earle then confessed that she had swallowed more than 100 pellets of the drug and after she was admitted to hospital she expelled 103 pellets of the drug. They were taken to the police laboratories and found to be cocaine.

Meanwhile, Prince Galloway, 26, was yesterday remanded in custody until November 7 when he will be sentenced.

Galloway was about to board British Airways flight 2262, on October 28, when he was accosted by the narcotics police. After he was questioned he agreed to do a preliminary test which showed positive results for cocaine. He was also taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where an x-ray showed that he had swallowed cocaine. He was admitted to the hospital under police guard and passed out 47 pellets.

When the accused man was taken to the narcotics headquarters and charged, he reportedly told the police there that, “Them ago kill off mi family”.

Senior resident magistrate for the Corporate Area, Martin Gayle, presided over the two cases.