KINGSTON, Jamaica — A 65-year-old woman was sentenced to pay a cumulative fine of $7,997.37 or spend 30 days in prison when she appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday on charges of possession of and dealing in ganja and possession of uncustomed goods.

After her potential sentence for the charges was explained to her, Mervaline Gopaul bluntly told presiding Judge Paula Blake Powell, “Yes I am guilty.”

Gopaul was reportedly found with 3.61 oz of ganja, divided into eighteen small plastic containers, as well as cigarettes which had not properly gone through the customs process.

When the elderly woman heard the accusations against her, she revised her plea, maintaining that she had not been dealing the ganja and that the amount had been less than one ounce.

The forensic certificate verifying the amount of ganja that was retrieved from her was shown to Gopaul in court, and she then pleaded guilty.

She was sentenced to pay $500 or spend 10 days in prison on the possession of ganja charge; to pay $1000 or spend 10 days in prison on the dealing in ganja charge; and to pay the equal value of the items ($6497.37) or spend 30 days in prison on the possession of uncustomed goods charge.

— Dana Malcolm