Tonight an 80 year old grandmother is lucky to have escaped jail time after she was convicted of drug trafficking - for what was probably someone else's product.
Retired teacher, Brenda Vasquez, along with her son, 29-year-old, Tattoo Artist, Giovanni Vasquez and her grand son, 29-year-old Kristian Young were left in shock after the guilty verdict handed down by Senior Magistrate Baja Shoman today.
They were all residents at her home on Lauren Burgess Crescent in the Belama Area when a police search found a stash of weed in a pack of Fruit Loops, and Lucky Charms cereal as well as some weed brownies.
Their attorney, Mansel Thurton didn't hide his displeasure over the verdict and his disbelief at the outcome. So much so, that Magistrate Shoman had to caution him about the tone he was using.
Under threat of being cited for contempt, Thurton made it clear that he is appealing the verdict.
In mitigation, Brenda Vasquez asked the court for leniency, maintaining her innocence saying, " I stand accused of something I never did." She asked the magistrate to consider her age, and a heart condition. Vasquez said she would like to spend the rest of her life in peace and begged the court for leniency.
Her son Giovanni and grandson Kristian asked for leniency and for the court to take into consideration that this is their first conviction and begged for a fine and not to be sent to jail.
Senior Magistrate Shoman told the 3 convicted persons that she took into consideration all that they said, and concluded that a fine was appropriate.The trio were all fined $3,315 each. They all have until the middle of next year to pay, or in default serve 6 months on each count.
