Azille escapes life sentence

Azille

After being found guilty of possession and intent to supply twelve grams of cocaine last week, Emanuel Azille, was told that he could face a life sentence, however, he was spared that fate today when Justice Birnie Stepehnson-Brooks ordered that he spend eight years in prison and pay a fine of $105,000 in one year.

Azille, who is from Cottage, appeared for sentencing at the High Court of Justice this morning. A jury of seven women and two men had found him guilty of the offense after a short trial on January 31.

He is expected pay the fine in one year or face another year imprisonment, according to the court.

Justice Birnie Stephenson-Brooks who presided over the matter, said that sentencing was difficult.

Azille, according to the prosecution, had been found with the drugs in a vacant house in Portsmouth on December 3, 2008.

During the trial, state’s witness Constable Tino Victor told the court that he along with two other officers were on mobile patrol on the said date when they heard a voice saying, “ what you want, a five pack?” Upon hearing this, the officers investigated and saw a man standing on a step.

They went in search of the man who ran and had disappeared behind a wooden building. Victor said he and the other officers entered the building (since the door was opened), and the defendant was seen sitting on a mattress with his head down and legs opened.

It is reported that upon seeing the police Victor said, “Oh…you caught me. How you know I was there?”

After identifying himself, the police officer said that he looked between the defendant’s legs and noticed a small brown substance in a clear plastic bag with aluminum wrappings. Victor reportedly said that there were 37 of them in all.  He also noticed a sum of money ($50.75)  between his legs. When questioned, Azille denied knowing anything about the substance but said the money belonged to him and asked for it to be returned.

One of Azille’s arguments during the trial was that the police officers could not have heard anyone asking about five pack since the police vehicle windows were all up.

Constable Javeed Prince who also testified, gave a similar account of the incident.

In a sworn testimony Azille, who chose to represent himself, repeatedly said that he had been framed by someone.

“I was in bed and I was awakened by something kicking the mattress that I was sleeping on. When I opened my eyes I saw two police officers… each of them had a gun in their hand. Then the officer took a plastic with something in it. I didn’t know what was in it at the time. When I realized what was in it, he asked me whose is it. I tell him is not mine. They say they want to search the house…they went head,” Azille said in his testimony.

Azille said that the officers had found the said money in his pockets during a body search. He claimed to have earned the cash through selling his art work to tourists.

Azille told the court that he was not a supporter of drugs and even though he was convicted, he was “absolutley innocent” of the crime. He said that the police never found any drugs or money between his legs.

Still proclaiming his innocent after a jury found him guilty, Azille said, “The wicked get reward that belong to the righteous and the righteous gets what the wicked deserves.”

He then told the jury,” I wish you all well but you all took the police statements, which were all lies.”

Justice Birnie Stephenson-Brooks had explained before adjourning the matter for sentencing that such an offense wich invoilves a Class A drug (cocaine),  Azille could either face a fine of up to $200,000 or pay three times the street value of the drugs – whichever figure is the greater – and imprisonment for life.

She told the defendant that he had the lengthiest conviction sheet that she had seen in her years on the bench.

“I am 100 percent innocent in that case,” Azille maintained when given a chance to mitigate.

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41 Comments

  1. Poor Our Country
    February 9, 2011

    Dnt Know the guy but this system is BS corruption in all of it….vending drugs seems to be worst than murder.

  2. Lord!
    February 8, 2011

    Hey Muslim Alawys
    What do you mean by justice system of polytheism.
    We here are not polytheist; we are Christians.

    I wonder if I go to Saufi Arabia and say ” The justice system of Jihadism is so disgusting,” I will bet Mohamed’s right leg that I would not make it out alive!!!!!

    You have the gaul to come here, enjoy our privilages, and freedom, and then insult our Christian society… and you wonder why Islam is such a derided following.

    Why don’t you fly to the MIddle East and help those poor unfortunate souls fight the ridiculous justice sysytem of mohamedism you….

    • way papa
      February 9, 2011

      Well as far as I know..God is one…And as far as I also know most Christians believe that God is 3 in 1 and by definition polytheism is belief in more than 1 God…so what is your point really?

  3. Piper
    February 8, 2011

    Are police allowed to enter private property without a warrant?

  4. Fly on the Wall
    February 8, 2011

    You know what i find funny, today in my lab experiment out of curiosity, i weighed my pen and it was 12.03g… i immediately remembered this DNO article.lol For you to see how small n light my pen is…and a man going and take 8 years for something they weight of my pen..WOW

    waste of taxpayers money if you ask me!

  5. Brain Damage
    February 8, 2011

    Bon voyage!

  6. notnice
    February 7, 2011

    Let me get this right you want a drug dealer to pay a fine
    Of $105,000 drug money?

  7. Muslim_Always
    February 7, 2011

    This justice system of polytheism is so disgusting, if one says through an email (pre-meditates), on the streets broad day at 1pm under hot sun for all school children and adults to hear, and KILLS A MAN for all to see in broad day light, he will STILL ESCAPE IN THIS COUNTRY.

    They will argue is not the gun or knife that killed him it’s the rust on the knife that killed him. If it is argued that everyone saw the murder, they would argue that the sun was too bright in people’s eyes so people had difficulty in seeing. If the man’s name is Jake, the police would spell Jack instead.

    The justice system in this country makes me want to throw up :(

    • WELL SAID
      February 7, 2011

      I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE. THIS IS NOT JUSTICE. THIS IS SIMPLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A POOR PERSON WHO CANNOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY. DRUG DEALER MY FOOT!!!

    • BC
      February 8, 2011

      After reading the piece above as reported by DNO, what punishment would you recommend for this crime and why? I just Axxing

      • Muslim_Always
        February 8, 2011

        @ BC: Firstly, if you read the last post about this guy the judge said he has THE LENGTHIEST wrap sheet in all her years of being a judge. Can you imagine that? It means the guy is unrepentant, tax payers are wasting thousands or perhaps millions on this man. It is clear that he is a liability to the state.

        In Islam, the sentence for drug trafficking is DEATH. However, I do not suggest capital punishment for these situations in DA because the obstacles in the system must be removed. We must tackle the root of the problems. Unemployment and poverty are crucial complications in a society.

        I suggest psychiatrical rehabilitation and intervention programmes for many substance traffickers and abusers in this country until such time the root of these problems are tackled.

  8. mr.nobody
    February 7, 2011

    manny is wrong for selling cocaine.. so he should really go to jail.. for a few years to learn his lesson

    • LORD HEAR US
      February 8, 2011

      WHAT LESSON IS HE GOING 2 LEARN COME ON I RATHER SELL DRUGS EVERY DAY THAN KILLING SOMEBODY WHAT ABOUT ALL D MURDERS THAT GOING AROUND THE HIT N RUNS ETC ALL AM SAYING IS GOD BE WITH US IN OUR COUNTRY

      • Crstn frm Watty lane
        October 9, 2014

        well now he has graduated from selling drugs to killing.

  9. shata
    February 7, 2011

    manny is wrong for selling cocaine.. so he should really go to jail

  10. RAS
    February 7, 2011

    THIS GUY WAS A WELL RESPECTED GUY IN THE LATE 70s EARLY 80s, THEN HE TURNED INTO THE MONSTER COTTAGE, PORTSMOUTH AND VISITORS TO PORTSMOUTH DEAL WITH FOR MANY YEARS. AT LEAST THE NORTH WILL BE IN PEACE FOR 9 YEARS. YOU ARE REAPING WHAT YOU SEW………..

  11. pat
    February 7, 2011

    i applaud you madamme magistrate. good job police. keep the convictions coming. down with drugs and these drug dealers and users. disgrace to society today. they should all be sent away from a respected society. and to all other magistrates keep the convictions coming and convict them hard. real hard. i hate drugs.

  12. sad case
    February 7, 2011

    This a sad case! he was poorly advised to select a High Court trial by his lawyer in order to avoid the most feared magistrate! he had no more money and his family gave up on him. His family spent money on his appeal from a different matter. He could not afford a lawyer for this important case lawyer now sits enjoying his well earned fees!!! A fine of $200,000 and life, so how did they come up with such a low sentence- unless we are prepared to be hard, drugs will continue to replace the real economy???

    • think hard
      February 7, 2011

      PEOPLE THINK IT THROUGH!!!!! A MAN FOUND WITH $50.75 IN HIS POCKET IS NO DRUG DEALER!!! NO DRUG DEALER WALKS WITH SUCH PENNIES AND SLEEPS ON A MATTRESS ON A FLOOR!!!! THOSE ARE NOT CHARACTERISTICS OF A DRUG DEALER. ALSO, A REAL DRUG DEALER WOULD HAVE AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT HIM. ARE YOU PEOPLE BLIND OR JUST FULL OF HATE!!!! WHERE DID THOSE JURIES COME FROM, DO THEY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES A REAL DRUG DEALER? AS A MATTER OF FACT ALL THE BIG DRUG DEALERS ARE WALKING OUR STREETS RIGHT NOW. THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GET A GOOD DEFENCE ATTORNEY AND STAY OUT OF JAIL. THIS IS JUST A MATTER OF CLASS, IT’S WHO COMMITS THE CRIME….DIFFERENT PRISON TERMS FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS!!!!

  13. .
    February 7, 2011

    Manny is a disgrace to society.Put him away now!

  14. Help Me Out
    February 7, 2011

    Is this the guy they call Mani from Cottage?

    • .
      February 7, 2011

      yes he is manny from cottage.Notorious like Satan himself!

  15. BC
    February 7, 2011

    You could send him to jail for 8 years; you could send him to jail for life; but the question is, are the drugs still available for purchase? In other words, has someone else already taken his place? What about the people buying the drugs? What do you think they are going to do now? I am sure they won’t miss him. Another supplier is already in place.

    How about rehabilitation? You see, when a drug dealer is taken of the streets, two or three other drug dealers are the happiest people in the world, because their customer base has just expanded. But if you take two or three paros off drugs, then the dealers are all pissed off because they will loose business, especially if that paro help two or three other paros get off drugs too.

    Now if the government would make drugs legal and take over the whole industry, to include sale, regulation, distribution and even some manufacturing, then all the dealers would have to find employment or just leave the county all together. Crime rate would hit rock bottom. Just a thought.

    • .
      February 7, 2011

      Agree to your first two paragraphs

      • BC
        February 7, 2011

        :lol: :lol: I know the last one is quite radical, and the rest of the world would need to be convinced, but DA can be the model..the leader….who knows?

        • haitianbabes
          February 7, 2011

          question, would there be any paro’s? or as government take over the trade they build more rehab. centers?

        • BC
          February 7, 2011

          The so called war against drugs is a loosing battle. Governments know that they cannot eradicate drugs. They are spending billions and billions and the result is more drug related crimes…crime rate is getting higher…more and more deaths…but they still fighting their war on drugs.

          Have they gotten rid of Marijuana? Way back in the 60’s they were burning down marijuana fields and beating up rastas..sending people to jail all over the place….Did they stop it? No..will they ever stop it? NO…Same thing for Cocaine and other drugs..you cannot stop it so why keep fighting? Just take it over and control it, then you will have better results..

    • BC
      February 7, 2011

      Definitely more rehabs but more importantly, more education. Stay away from it..that’s the best message I can think of. If government owns it and makes it dirt cheap, some people will not want it anymore. Like cheap rum, some people don’t like the cheap stuff.

    • DC
      February 8, 2011

      Good points about the rehabilitation and getting ppl off drugs.
      But legalizing cocaine is out of the question. It causes more damage to the human body and should remain illegal. However, a drug like Marijuanna that i see so many ppl going down for is not as harmful to the body if at all. I’d be an advocate to legalize marijuanna but not cocaine.

      • BC
        February 8, 2011

        DC,

        Strong cases can be made against the destructive qualities for most drugs, to include marijuana, cocaine, heroine and even alcohol. The fact is people will get drugs if they want them bad enough. They are readily available. It’s up to us to decide how many lives we want drugs to destroy and in what fashion. As is, the number of lives that is impacted by the violence associated with drugs is humongous. The cost is astronomical. Additionally, you have the people that are physically dying from using those drugs. If you are able to reduce the violence by having the government take over and regulating, then you only have to worry about keeping the number of addicts down to a minimum. In time, the government could even control the potency of those drugs and gradually wean addicts off.

        I think that is a whole lot easier and will cost less than fighting this war on drugs. In essence, you would be fighting one problem as opposed to two. Alcohol is a good example. No more war on alcohol so all you have to worry about now is keeping people away from the bottle. At the end of the day, people have to be allowed to control their own lives.

  16. shatta
    February 7, 2011

    no love for the cocaine

  17. ...
    February 7, 2011

    Eight years for drugs and probation for a child molester. Madam justice, something is wrong.

    • Me
      February 7, 2011

      So Right about that!!
      Yet, there are still those who get away with murder too. I keep wondering what is our justice system coming to. Hey, doesn’t that tell our young people they can get away with almost anything these days!!
      Sham Shame, Shame………..

      • haitianbabes
        February 7, 2011

        and two years, for firearms and bullets. am no drug lover, or lover of those who deal in it, i’ve seen and lived with the result of it first hand, the devil himself is a better bet.

  18. Good!
    February 7, 2011

    But why were people so harsh on Mr. Tiyani Behanzin’s sentences? Or rather why was the system so harsh on him? I found all is in order with this case, as in his cases. Is the chief magistrate and all the defence lawyers going to come down on the judge’s back? I bet not!

    Maybe if there was more consistency by all and less double standards by some, then there would may be less of a drug and crime problem in our society!

  19. HMMMM
    February 7, 2011

    8 YEARS ALONE FOR THAT PIECE OF ,,,,,,, I AM DISAPPOINRTED

  20. Rolle
    February 7, 2011

    What about all the big drug bust that the Police boast of where several kilos of cocaine were involved? The amount he had was not enough to pay off police officers and lawyers? It’s a damn shame what is going on in my country. I am all for justice but the fact that our system only works against the poor sickens me.

    For very good reason the Justice did not impose the maximum penalty.

  21. timbok 2
    February 7, 2011

    complete rubbish….if u kill two yrs….coke escape life?

  22. vai23
    February 7, 2011

    he would have been given the life sentence, he has no money to pay the fine and further he is a plague in both portsmouth and cottage, i say loose him and throw the keys, at least people will be at peace for the next eight years

    • for real
      February 7, 2011

      when you say loose him,that means set him free. i am sure you mean lose him in the jail and throw way the keys. but seriously, his daughter is really gettin married and his nephew, the policeman who just died, is going to be buried soon. hope they let him attend both,but they need to put chains on his legs because he’s well known for escaping. aye manny sala mem,mem,mem.

      • haitianbabes
        February 7, 2011

        as the saying goes,by RADIO NEG, only man known to escape from guadeloupe prison, watch it.

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