ST JAMES, Jamaica— The man accused of attempting to ship cocaine through a courier service had his trial postponed on Tuesday.
Evan Martin, who was slated to stand trial in the St James Parish Court before presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley, was reportedly only served with the documents on Tuesday.
It is reported that the defendant’s lawyer, Albert Morgan, was not feeling well.
A new trial date was set for March 29, and Martin’s bail was extended.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2021, about 2:00 pm, members of the Contraband Enforcement Team (CET) were conducting routine security checks at a prominent courier service office during which a package was checked and anomalies were detected.
Narcotics officers were called, and when they arrived, they opened the package and found a bag marked "coffee" that contained 1.9 ounces of cocaine.
Martin was subsequently charged with possession and attempting to export cocaine.
In an earlier court appearance, Martin told the court that someone had asked him to ship the package.
“Didn’t you think it was odd that they asked you to do something like this,” asked Judge Smith-Ashley, who was also sitting at the time.
“Turning a blind eye to suspicious conduct makes you guilty, so let’s not waste any time now," the judge added.
“Are you guilty or not guilty for possession of the cocaine and attempting to send it overseas?” Smith-Ashley then asked.
“No, Your Honour,” Martin replied.
HOUSE RULES
- We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
- Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
- We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
- Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
- Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
- If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
- Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
