KINGSTON, Jamaica – Despite the defendant’s tearful cries of ignorance, Senior Parish Judge in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, Lori-Ann Montague-Cole was quick to suggest that Anoula Barnes could’ve been willfully blind when she agreed to ship packages containing cocaine. 

The 33-year-old mother of four vehemently denied knowing that the packages she “sent-off” through an overseas courier service in August 2020 and February 2021 contained cocaine. According to Barnes, she was only doing a favour for an acquaintance she met through her fiancé, Adika Plummer. 

Barnes appeared before the judge last week Tuesday, March 15. Plummer, who was also present in court on drug-related charges, pleaded guilty last month and was remanded in custody pending sentencing. 

However, despite her claims that she had no knowledge that the packages contained the illegal substance, Barnes pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, conspiracy to export and attempting to export cocaine through an overseas courier service. 

According to a Major Organised Crime and  Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) representative present in court, Barnes’ arrest in June last year stemmed from another case in which the accused took investigators to the person that gave her the package, which was Plummer.  

“When we went to that address we saw Ms Anoula Barnes. On that Basis we interviewed her because we realised that she was a person of interest at that time. Mr Plummer was not there when we arrested the other person,” the investigator told the court, adding that the person who gave Barnes the packages, also gave her money for sending the packages. 

“During the interview your honour, we allowed Miss Barnes to call Mr Plummer on speaker. The person on the other end was telling her not to say anything to the police. We tried to locate Mr Plummer because he as well sent a package,” the MOCA investigator continued. 

However, Barnes, who was crying almost uncontrollably, said, “I was clueless about contraband being in the package, as I stated to Ms Marshall (MOCA investigator) before. And her reply to me is ‘you so in love but you nuh want to talk’.” 

Barnes told the court that she was transporting the packages for a now deceased man only named as Mackerel. She said he gave her J$300 for shipping the packages, and told her to “buy yourself a drink.” 

Montague-Cole asked Barnes what she knew about Mackerel, where he lived, where he worked, his age and the type of work he does.

“I don’t know,” Barnes simply replied.

After a short dialogue with Barnes about the details of the packages, Montague-Cole said, “You’re old enough to can smell a rat.”

“Let me tell you madam, there is this concept that we call in law, willful blindness. There are sometimes when you might not know the full detail but you get a whiff that all is not kosher. And the law places a responsibility on us so that when your sixth sense tells you something nuh right, usually when something seems (too) good to be true, it generally is. You just sending off packages…” Montague-Cole added.

Continuing her probe into Mackerel’s identity, the senior parish judge asked Barnes about the type of work he did, but the defendant responded that she was not sure. 

“So, Mackerel could a well be a druggist as they would say out a road; and I am sure that is what the police intelligence is, that Mackerel is a drug pusher. I won’t sentence you today. You are not going home, I don’t give false hope in this court. Cocaine is (a) serious matter. You know how many lives have been destroyed because of cocaine?” Montague-Cole asked rhetorically. 

Meanwhile, Plummer told the court that he has learnt his lesson from being in custody. 

“I learnt my lesson already, and I would never put my loved ones in harm’s way,” Plummer said, before he was allowed to comfort his weeping companion.

Cole-Montague ordered a social enquiry report for Plummer and Barnes, who were further remanded in custody until May 16, for sentencing. But, before they were removed from the courtroom, the judge allowed them a few minutes to comfort each other. 

Plummer was seen embracing Barnes, who wept openly in his arms.