MONTEGO BAY, St James — A British woman’s local family ties worked in her favour and she was offered bail in the amount of $2 million when she appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday to answer drug smuggling charges.

Brandi James, a 28-year-old data operator from London, England, is charged with possession of, dealing in, attempting to export and conspiracy to export cocaine.

The allegations are that 16 pounds of cocaine were found when James was preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for London, England, at Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport around 10:25 pm on August 6.

It is said that during a search, detectives discovered the illicit substance concealed in a false compartment.

James was arrested and charged with breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

During the bail hearing before presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce, defence counsel Henry McCurdy informed the court that his client’s suitcase had been damaged and that she subsequently purchased a replacement from a store in Negril. He said she has no idea how the cocaine got there.

Additionally, it was revealed that the forensic certificate, scene-of-crime statement, corroborating officer’s statement, a CD and other pertinent documents were missing from the case file.

Prior to granting bail, Grant-Pryce explained why she allowed the woman to remain at large.

“Miss James, you are not a Jamaican citizen and I am not in the habit of granting bail to non-Jamaicans because we have a history of persons absconding here. But you do have Jamaican connections, so we will see how this goes,” the judge said.

Grant-Pryce then granted James bail in the sum of $2 million, which included a requirement for the payment of a $1-million cash bond. Additionally, she was instructed to provide her fingerprints to the police.

As part of her bail conditions, James was instructed to report to the police four times per week. Additionally, she was told to surrender her travel documents, and stop orders will be placed at all ports.

The court ruled that the stop order must be in place before bail can be processed.

The case will again be mentioned on October 7.

Man who admitted beating ex awaits his fate

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A St James man who admitted to beating
his girlfriend will learn on October 7 the impact of a court-ordered social enquiry report on his sentencing.

Onekie Groves pleaded guilty with explanation to unlawful wounding before presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce, but failed to give a proper explanation. The report will be a crucial factor in determining the punishment meted out to him. It will shed light on various aspects of his background and behaviour, providing insights that will help the court make an informed decision regarding his case.

According to court documents, on June 18, the complainant was at her residence when she heard Groves, who is now her ex-boyfriend, cursing and banging on the door outside. It is said that he then kicked open the door, entered the house, grabbed her by the neck, and punched her in the face, resulting in an injury.

Court records also indicate that Groves continued to hit the woman all over her face, prompting other residents to intervene and urge him to cease. It was at this point that he stopped assaulting the complainant.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the complainant told the court that she was not interested in pursuing mediation.

As a result, judge Grant-Pryce ordered a social enquiry report and deferred sentencing until October 7.

Groves’ bail was extended.

Man accused of threatening sister, damaging her stove

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A man accused of damaging his sister’s stove and threatening to harm her reached a resolution through mediation when he appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.

Nicardo Whyte was charged with malicious destruction of property and making a threat.

According to court records, on July 13, the siblings were locked in a dispute during which the accused man threatened to chop up the complainant. It was also alleged that he damaged her stove.

“Alright Miss Whyte, can you tell us what happened?” enquired presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce after a brief summary of the allegations.

“Mi and him did a cuss and him seh him a go throw di stove outside. I told him not to throw the stove outside because that’s what we use to cook on and we have a little baby there. He then pushed me and said, ‘A mash mi a go mash up di stove’ and then threw it in the passage and mash it up,” the complainant replied.

She said she went to the police station and informed the police to warn Whyte, but did not explicitly request that he be locked up.

“So what do you want me to do with him this morning?” Grant-Pryce asked. “Just give him a chance,” the complainant said before asking the judge if she could settle the case through mediation.

“Mr Whyte, do you want some bail?” the judge then asked the accused man.

“Yes, Your Honour,” the defendant replied.

“Bail is serious business sir. This is what I call conditional freedom. If you out there misbehaving, I can revoke your bail and you can go back into custody,” the judge warned.

Grant-Pryce then offered Whyte bail in the sum of $100,000 with up to two sureties and with reporting conditions.

After granting bail to the defendant, the judge ordered both parties to attend a mediation session at the mediation office. However, a mediator who was already present in the courtroom assisted in facilitating a session between the parties, which resulted in an amicable resolution.

In light of the mediation agreement, the prosecution offered no evidence against the defendant.