Jail, fine for man found with drugs in court

A 30-year-old man was yesterday sentenced to six years imprisonment and fined Lm1,000 by Magistrate Abigail Lofaro after he was found guilty of drug trafficking charges.

Mario Zammit was charged with having been in unlawful possession of heroin in October 1996 and with having provided the drug to third parties. He was also charged by Inspector Neil Harrison with having violated the provisions of a previous court judgment and with being a relapser.

The court heard that a police officer at the law courts on October 18, 1996 had received confidential information that the accused and his girlfriend, Maria Claudette Camilleri, were in possession of a number of sachets containing heroin in court.

Camilleri was escorted by the police to the Valletta police station. As soon as a strip search on the woman commenced, she delivered a number of sachets of heroin that were hidden upon her person.

Zammit, who was inside a court room when the information arrived, was arrested as soon as the sitting ended. He was also escorted to the Valletta police station and searched. Zammit handed over a large packet containing drugs to the police.

In her evidence, Camilleri declared that Zammit had prepared a number of sachets containing heroin and that he had handed her some of them to be concealed in her private parts. This was not the first time the accused had done this and at the time he used to sell drugs at City Gate.

Zammit too admitted to the police that he had six sachets of heroin on him, adding that he had purchased the drugs for Lm25. He said Camilleri had not bought the drugs.

Magistrate Lofaro noted that all the sachets were proven to contain heroin. Camilleri had testified in the proceedings against Zammit and had confirmed that the heroin was not for her personal use but were intended for sale to third parties. She further reiterated that Zammit had given her the drugs to hide.

The court noted that Camilleri had always maintained her version of events and that her evidence was corroborated by forensic evidence.

The magistrate found Zammit guilty of drug trafficking and possession. Zammit, Magistrate Lofaro ruled, had an alarming criminal record and had been given previous opportunities to reform himself but had not availed himself of them.

Zammit was sentenced to six years jail and fined Lm1,000.