A 64-year-old man of Gallion was slapped with a $8,000 fine for possession of cannabis with intent to supply after he pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, possession with intent to supply 2,270 grams and cultivation of 10 plants of cannabis.
Michael Alphonse appeared in court on Thursday.
According to the facts of the case as presented by police prosecutor, corporal Innocent Toussaint, on November 20, 2013 at about 10.25 am, members of the Drugs Squad armed with a search warrant, went to the home of Alphonse.
On arrival, they were met by his wife Roseline Olivacce Alphonse, who told them that her husband was not home but had gone to his garden (farming plot).
After showing her the warrant, the house was searched and nothing found.
The police then requested that she take them to the garden and she complied.
Upon arrival, the lawmen met Alphonse, informed him of their mission and proceeded to search a shack in the garden where the cured marijuana found.
Ten plants of the illegal weed were also found in the garden.
The drugs have a street value of EC$6,670, according to the police.
When asked to account for the cannabis that was found in his shack, Alphonse said, “officer some fella put it there and say if I call police they will kill me.”
Alphonse and his wife were arrested.
She pleaded not guilty to all the charges and they were withdrawn by the prosecution after her husband pleaded guilty.
In mitigation Alponse’s attorney, Joshua Francis, begged the court not to impose a custodial sentence on his client since he was “a first time offender, was remorseful and had not wasted the court’s time.”
Magistrate, Candia George, told Alphonse that while she was not going to impose a custodial sentence on him, he will have to abide by the actions of his behaviour. “You are a grown man…I don’t know why you did it … your lawyer did not say but you have to face the consequences,” she said.
He has until June 24, 2014, to pay the fine or in default, go to jail for one year.
This is so ridiculous! Legalize Marijuana now. This is going too far, did you read the story? Percecuting the man and his wife for marijuana that has no effect on the drug trade and drug abuse in Dominica? …. coke flows like river in dominica and they know it.
Cocaine is king to them police man today, many are involved in it partly due to marijuana having a large foot print and largely because of the heavy money they can make in a little paper bag of coke.
What utter nonsense to treat our citizens that way! Illegal what? It’s not the only thing that’s illegal but they don’t enforce others, just marijuana. id10ts.
Well obviously the lady didn’t know the garden was hot, cuz if she was an old school she would never bring police there… I hope police hold the person that frettin d old man life
64 years old? He used his age to cover up. Old folks are taking over in the grass business. Lock him down and lock him up.
“0”stress are you an idiot or what?
Most law abiding citizens of the Nature Isle do NOT want crime and hard drugs and will cooperate with officers.
However, when the police do great injustice like this( especially when you cooperate with them), you too get charged and you left to wonder.
Mr. Police officer, do you really believe that the greater community will cooperate with you when you misuse your power and don’t use it for the real crimes in Dominica.
Shame shame shame
the man jolly knows that marijuana is illegal in Dominica…he played with fire he must get burnt. Sorry sir, but such is life. Go to the PM he will help you out.
*non progressive coma it is in.
This is crazy!!!!!! First off grandpa and grandma clearly need to get out of the buisiness. At 64 thats not the kind of issues to be dealing with,that said.the police had some information hence the warrant,this was not random,however all warrants are very specific in the details of what,where,who etc.the search was done it should have been over there.overzealous is the word that comes to mind.in some Dominican mindset this may deemed police work.Dominica has to wake up from this
Does rastafari have an age limit? Does going to communion have an age limit?
That lady must have panicked. I know how she must have felt seeing all these police barraged at her home and I guess it was early.
I guess tuou meant June 2014
O’ LORD I pray that sooner than later,
you will open the eye of the nation on ganja
those who chase the healing of the nation
it will be the salvation of the future generation,
the system is just for a time
and all the designer drugs they produce for their profit
will come to pass and the ‘healing of the nation’ will still be around
because the supression will soon be done.
You charge people for herb but allow them to smoke cigarette and drink alcohol..How funny the system operates!
“members of the Drugs Squad armed with a search warrant went to the home of Alphonse.” It never said a warrant for the house. The warrant could have been issued to search the house and premises/property which includes the garden. So why is the majority saying the warrant was to search the house?
I see a lot of Lawyer Pway Kai (close to home) here babbling…..
. STOP making fools of yourselves a read the Narcotics Control Act and then you will see the police can search both house an garden. She lucky she took the police to the Garden because refusal would have lead to obstruction and she would not have have gotten away with it. Boy, Dca sure have a lot of self-educated lawyers papa 
!
Joshua Francis NO coonoumoonoo attorney so if the police had acted illegally he would NOT have advised his client to plead guilty.
But Change Must Come and that will be sooner rather than later.
Assertive, NOT Agressive
I do not want to condone illegal drugs, but looking at the photo of a plant in its natural habitat and for someone or people to say its illegal to have to me this is ludacris.If by some means a coconut palm has some potent properties are they going to cut all the coconut trees?…I say crazy!!!!.
He is fortunate that he has until June next year to pay the fine. The Court still gave him a chance to work and to repay the amount. He could have been told to pay the amount immediately. Hope he never grows this illegal substance. Grow fruits and vegetables which are healthy substance.
We in Dominica should no our rights. The warrant was to search the house not the garden so therefore they should have gone back and obtain another warrant for the garden and they wife should not have taken them to garden. A simply I don’t know where he went. Or some where in the village
Its very interesting to see that Dominica “pretends” to be progressive when it suits the benefits of he powers that be. If it lines their pockets, they’re all for it…I was once told that marijuana is treated as it is because the fine of the offences is what subsidizes certain salaries…How true it is? I don’t know!Huh all this lil coconut know is that Homosexuality was brought to the table BEFORE marijuana!!! in the “Nature island of the Caribbean” the ship you off to jail for a plant but “After God is the Earth” Not so?
I see your point… How can you all even consider, in all your stupidity, to make something God placed on the Earth, illegal?
The audacity of simple minded maggots. I swear!
It is not a damned drug! It is nature! It grows out of the ground for Heaven’s sake!
Just because it turns people into total pacifists, its a problem, right? I mean, if most people were high all the time, they would see things too clearly or not fight with each other enough.
Cigarettes and alcohol that rile up people’s innate
“Battle spirit” or the human way of handling problems, are very much legal.
My people open your shielded eyes!!! See the truth for what it is and not the watered down and twisted facts, that the system provides you with.
Think about it. The government who made it illegal in the 1st place, has fallen and quite frankly, are still falling. Yet we as, the people of Dominica, are following in their footsteps, like chickens, for the slaughter…
Tis’ sad, very sad. Borderline pathetic!
The youths will have no respect for their elders; adults exploit the youth and elders lay waste to our lands with their cunning tongues. THat is the monster YOU ALL choose to follow.
You preach a good game about God, but none of you follow in his footsteps?
No wonder you people NEED an Apocalypse to happen.
Good luck with life and after life.
Some self employment jobs could be profitless.
Police had warrant to search the house but search the shack too?
Exactly!!! these are the thing we have to be mindful of..our right are being grossly violated in our OWN country..its a matter of educating yourself and knowing your rights…
The police normally use a trick with persons who do not know.
First, the lady did not know that she did not have to tell the police anything whatsoever or even tell them where her husband was, but she was unaware, so she did.
Second wen they went to the garden with no warrant the trick they use is ask you wat you have in this shed then you tell them nothing then they tell you open the door,we would like to see for ourselves what is in there.’ Right there they asked for permission to search, then you decide to say ok go ahead or you open the door for them and BOOOM they catch you.
So there it is once you give a police permission to search they dont need no warrant.
People must know that police need your permission to question you. You are NOT obligated to answer any questions posed by law enforcement except name and where you live
Correction
They ask you, CAN YOU OPEN THE DOOR? WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE FOR OURSELVES WAT IS IN THERE; Thats how they ask you for permission and you just allow them, not knowing you can tell them no
You did not utilize your common sense and good judgment. You probably do not possess them. The garden and shack are part of their property. It makes good sense that the police searched the shack. This is where the wife led the police. She told the police “he went to his garden.” The shack is located there.
Did you expect the police to return to the police station, prepare a warrant and return to the garden to search the shack? This would not be a smart idea and action.
The police knew what they were looking for when they went to their house and searched it. Did you expect them to simply turn their backs and not search the shack thereby missing the opportunity of seeing the cannabis? Fortunately they found the growth of cannabis.
Police not stupid. They had a reason for getting the warrant in the first place. The warrant was probably for all premises owned, rented or used by the accused, to include his garden, his car and his shack. Was the ganja found on his property? Was it his ganjs? If the answer is yes, then case closed.
And they can arrest the wife too because she also owns the property and the ganja.
On a different note, Dominica should be making a case to legalize ganja and stop punishing people for it.
Imagine they arrest the wife too. Wondering why. Police ask her to go show them where her husband was and she complied, now she getting arrested. Weed wasn’t found at the home. They didn’t meet the wife in the garden with him.They just arrested her for fun i guess.
Blame the lawyer. He did nothing for his client.I would not pay him.He could have the case dismissed if he had brought up the fact that the warrant was to search the house. Poor lady must have panicked.She should not have been arrest since nothing was found at the house and she was not in the garden.Someone sold grandpa out.
These types of things happens in a lawless land. The police are free to do what they like, until they back-up the wrong tree.
i hope the drug task force can sleep good at night knowing they removed a dangerous high level dealer from society. IDIOTS
Trust me that was a sell out. The woman should tell the popo find her husband themselves. I would maintain I don’t know where he is. A warrant for my house can’t be used in my garden. Dem popo getting away with too much in D/ca. They themselves dealing drugs.
She was honest. I am certain that she is relieved about it. She no longer has to pretend, knowing that if caught, they will be arrested and charged, probably imprisoned. No matter what, give her credit for her honesty.
She also pled guilty to all charges. She may not have been involved in growing the cannabis or even agreed to growing it. Remember, the husband has the primary say and whether she objects to it, he would not listen to her. However, as husband and wife who own the property, she was arrested.
This is a woman who does not want to live a lawless life. She wishes to live a law-abiding life. Furthermore, sooner or later the police would have found the cannibis. Why else did they go to the home and searched it? I commend her for her honesty. I wish her well.
The wife should have been wiser than that u know what Ur husband has in his garden tell them he went to town.The police have to do their work and not blaming them its the law of the land so elected officials are the ones who has to change it.My opinion is marijuana should be legal in DA,it’s only my view.
I neither smoke nor drink, but our justice system stinks. to me people who kill get in some cases no punishemnt, or just a slap on the wrist, while someone with 10 marihuana plants is at the receiving end of it. SOMETHING DOES NOT ADD UP. I would take them COPS to the garden. YES I WOULD, but up till now we would still be walking to this garden. I would make them walk from here to Timbuktu. WHAT HAPPEN THESE COPS ARE AFRAID OF THE BIG COCAINE DEALERS. There names are all over the place, but you are not hearing anything about them real criminals being arrested or fined or even questioned..
What wrong with these overzealous armed policemen? They should be arresting the crooked and vagabond politicians instead of harassing poor people.
Prove to all of us that the politicians are crooked and vagabond. This is defamation of character. You should be called derogatory names. See how would you like it. You probably would sue them.
You could be arrested, charged and imprisoned for libel. You must be careful what you state. Be careful of stones that you throw. They will come back at you and to haunt you two-fold.
You are condemning yourself. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Look this up in the Ten Commandments of God. It is a grievous sin. Let God be the Judge. What you sow you shall surely reap in time – two-fold.
Marijuana does no harm to no man and it is yet to be proven that no man has died because of it use. This world we living is so confusing and a lot of things we think we no are all lies. Alcohol and cigarette kills millions of people yearly , yet still they are legal. Marijuana is the healing of the nation and the more the system fight against it, the more people will smoke it.
Are you serious that it has yet been proven no one has died of it? What do you know? Do you know how big the world is and how many countries there are in the world?
You should perform a research to find out how many people died ingesting marijuana and how much it has affected those who are addicted to it and what happened to them.
Let us say, if it does not kill them, it will make them dotish and mental. In addition, they could lose their property, job, family when they become addicted to it and they must have it by selling everything they got to purchase it, even stealing and murder.
In addition, those who are employed and are addicted to it, they may not be able to get up in the morning to report for work. Some of them are walking the streets and sleeping on the streets as paupers.
It is stated that marijuana is worst than cocaine. Woe to those governments who legalize it and any sort of immorality in any land which cause their nationals to go down slippery slopes and even to Hell. I will simply say, God is patient with them for now!
the police self that going and sell it and they want to let de man pay all that money i would put all them police in jail.
Joker!
Prove it! Cease generalizing and scandalizing the names of the police. You should be charged.
when i think of that carefully , i can say that the wife was afraid of those police , i am pretty sure if she had refuse to tell them where her husband was ,they would beat her up and say she resisted arrest , so i feel she had to tell them where her husband was . 2. no matter how much they charge or imprisoned persons for possession of marijuana , it will never send the message they want too, people will still grow and use it .Take A.I.D.S for example , look at the amount of people dying from it , so much education is out there about it and people still get it , WHY ? because of the sex involved everybody loves sex so they just don’t care if they die but they will still have unprotected sex or with more than one partner. Sp is kust like the marijuana ,so is time the governments of the world find another way around this marijuana they consider a problem.
jus tell them man is ur cannabis u lying and say someguys who threatened, nonsense put it there plus when the court goin stop charge ppl them ridiculous amnts of money in court 10 plants we, plus I sure is the lowest grade of cannabis this man had there the sticks which wont sell made up the majority of the weight the the weight should be cut in half if yall want to estimate hw much the man would make
Geez more drugs again, i fed up time we vote in Linton, we need change!
Yes because Linton can put marijuana out of existence
whoiii allu have kix
The next step is for the wife to sue the police force for wtongful arrest. This is nit the first time and unless someone does something about it those men and women who think they owm the country and think they have more right than you and me will continue to belittle the people of this nation
Lock them up!!!!!!
“He has until June 24, 2013 to pay the fine or in default one year in jail.”
all policeman do is get rich on people.but dont bring all to the courts anyway. 95% 0ff them have nothing if not there a woman that pick them up.
There are several problems with this..the wife should not have been arrested. The warrant was for the house not the garden. .that will only happen in Da. I do not smoke nor do I condone the use of pot but why are murderers getting a slap on the wrist and people with pot are being punished so severely
I agree when I was reading it that’s what I said it was 4 the house not the garden so she that cuse that 2 happen 2 her husband she could refuse and the law men could not force her to take them or tell where the garden is that’s my vew
i thought so to,but why did she comply,was she threatened,a good lawyer can turn that case on it’s heels,and next thing,was the warrant for canabis or sometrhing else,i mean why did she take them to her husband,they had already searched the home and found nothing.
The probably had Guns in hands, and she was afraid for her life. Sue the Police Dept. for trespassing and invading your privacy. Also, for search without a warrant. You have nothing to lose.
Sad story. Police had a warrant to search the house NOT the shack! so why!!!!! something does not add up.smh
…if only we could be as efficient and quick in dealing with the big cocaine boys! Guess Alphonse had no expensive, fancy lawyer
I truly think that it is time to legalize marijuana on a control level. I am not a smoker of it neither do i deal with it , But when you look at the country that’s one of the ways people are making money to survive . Make it where they have marijuana registered farmers and they only sell it to the government who in turns sell it to labs and pharmaceutical companies. Or anyone found with more than a legally amount publicly or otherwise will be issues tickets for the estimated amount they have on them . I don’t think charging and sending people to prison is ever going to stop people from growing ,smoking nor selling the marijuana,for me i think two main reason whey it will continue to be are , 1. people think is a natural cure for lots of diseases, 2. it definitely has money. This is my opinion .
Only in dominica police officers can get away with poor poor work so……….. members of the Drugs Squad armed with a search warrant went to the home of Alphonse. NOT TO THE SHACK of Alphonse dominica judicial system is UNFAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!! they always patrolling or going by HEARSAY
the country hard.
let us get involved in legal activities not illegal activities. I know things are rough but we just have to try and pray. stay away from illicit activities. God bless
But even those who have millions doing bobbol in high places. Leave them poor guys alone. Marijuana is not cocaine.
Why was the Wife arrested? Are the police bent on embarrassing persons? The House was searched and nothing found. She actually escorted them to the garden. She complied. Why was this woman charged????????????????? Policemen please do your work properly. We need to pray that those lawmen do their work properly. Don’t they have family? I really cannot understand!
You are really a jack in a box,and will never understand police work or the Law. Sometimes I wonder those like you who seems to take offence to the way police do their work just try it yourself and all your question will be answered You never hear se pa ne~ swetiwa E pa ne~voler??Typical loud mouth Dominican.
U are the jack in the box. People have rights and the only warrant the police had was for the house. Wah happen u a cop . Shut ur damn face. *feeling irritated* Callin people jack in a box stupessssssssssss.
Shut up “O” Stress. You are a hater and persons like you always hate others for no reason. Are you so sure that the wife knew about this. You are calling others “loud mouth” You seem to be one of those policemen who do not do their work properly and act on heresay. What if I call them and say something bad about you and the same thing happen to you? Wait until the same ting happen to you and you will call foul. Are you aware that a lot of cases fall out ???? Some policemen do not do their homework … If this was somewhere else .. you would hear of suing and someone would pay for doing foolishness and have you been in court and ever heard the Judge/Magistrate scold those fella’s who do not do a good job????? The cases get dismissed and it is “loud mouths” like you who claim that the judicial system is not fair. “loudmouths” like you indulge in hearsay and gossip. I rest my case “loudmouth”. I await the day when it will be your turn or you walk the road that some persons walk.
The warrant was for the house not for the PROPERTY….the cop had no business arresting the woman nor did he have a right to arrest the man in his garden nor search his garden….you must be one of the DUMB cops..and even have the nerve to call people jack-in-a-box..if there is any jack in a box guess who it is? You are right cuz you are that one…
the woman wasn’t charged. read properly
“Alphonse and his wife were arrested.
She pleaded not guilty to all the charges and they were withdrawn by the prosecution after her husband pleaded guilty.” … I quoted this for you from the story above. What do you mean “the woman wasn’t charged. read properly” I ask that you are the one to read properly!
shut your stupid mouth, you make no sense.
I know you meant arrested. I share your view.
??????????.
Hello and good evening to you. The wife was arrested because she opened the shed after the Police asked her to and they saw the Marihuana curing inside. They then asked if she know where her husband is and she took them to the garden where they observed Marihuana plants growing in plain view. She shouldn’t have open the shed and if the Police want to go inside the shed they would need another Search Warrant. Anyway you answered your question because she complied when asked which lead to the illegal contraband. They executed the Search Warrant inside the house but they didn’t find any contraband so they trick the woman to circumvent applying for another Search Warrant . If the Police come to question you and you might be a Suspect in a criminal matter you don’t have to answer any question. Now if the Police arrest you then all you should do is give them your name,address and Date of Birth then don’t answer any question otherwise they will entrapped you because they are highly skilled and you don’t know what the Police know about you. If you are under arrest and the Police want to question you then they must read you your Rights(Miranda Warnings-USA). If you are a witness to some criminal matter then you can speak to the Police but if you’re a suspect then you shouldn’t answer any question. My people you’ll must learn your constitutional rights and please don’t go and commit any crime.
You should have said your husband went to town, after they left go find him in the garden. its your fault he has to pay 8000!
Yall send him to plant more to get the money?
Why did the police arrest the wife when the search of the house revealed nothing?
The police asked for her assistance in locating her husband which she did give, she was then taken from the first location to the location where the drugs were found and then arrested.
DNO IS YOUR STORY CORRECT ?
Sort aou sort! why you think the charge against the wife was dismissed????? That’s a way of saying thank you wife for assisting the police to catch the real so called culprit who happens to be her husband.Law and order must be maintained.Go to the library and read on the laws of our land.
A they only released her because the husband pleaded guilty. They should not have arrested her in the first place if they were thankful.
What happen. You playing Ole Police. Give your hand a vacation.
“O” STRESS” please get “D” STRESSED then you will stop calling people sort. Who really sort????
Patriot.
Hello and good evening my people. The Police arrested the wife because she took them to the garden and the Police saw the Marijuana which was in plain view. The husband then acknowledge that the Marihuana belong to him therefore the charges were dropped against his wife. The arrest have nothing to do with her taking them to the garden rather its the marijuana which is illegal. She should have told them that he don’t know where her husband is and they wouldn’t have any right to go to the garden.
this is bull the warrant was for the house not the garden,i hope your lawyer take that in account,only in dominica this judicial system is unfair to the poor people.you will walk free,
Grell.
Hello and good evening. You must used logic to understand what happened. The Police didn’t find contraband inside the house but she opened the shed when requested and that’s when the Police saw the Marihuana curing inside. She then compounded the situation by taking the Police to her husband in the garden and that’s when they saw the Marihuana plants in the garden which was in plain view. The lawyer knew that he couldn’t win therefore he didn’t bring up that issue. Also if you are poor that shouldn’t stop anyone from learning their Constitutional Rights. We are a Democratic country and we have rights which must be respected.
2014 I assume!
June 2014?