Former New Zealand soldier facing prison in Jamaica for drugs

Thursday, December 25, 2003

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (AFP): A former New Zealand soldier was sentenced to 12 months of hard labor on Tuesday after pleading guilty to trying to smuggle cocaine out of Jamaica.

Montego Bay Resident Magistrates Court also fined Timothy Jones 600,000 Jamaican dollars (10,000 US) after being caught with one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cocaine at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.

Jones, 28, lives in Australia and works with telecommunications company Nortel as an instructor. He was arrested November 28 after three packets of cocaine were found hidden in the black briefcase he was carrying.

A repentant Jones told the court through his attorney George Thomas that he could not give a reasonable explanation for committing the crime and that he was willing to do whatever it took to lighten his sentence and get back to his normal life.

Jones was fined 100,000 Jamaican dollars (1,600 US) or six months for possession of cocaine; 200,000 Jamaican dollars (3,300 US) or six months for dealing in cocaine; and 300,000 Jamaican dollars (5,000 US) or six months for trying to export cocaine.

Atop the mandatory 12 months at hard labor, he could face an additional 18 months if the fines are not paid as Resident Magistrate Evan Brown ruled that the sentences are to run consecutively if the fines are not paid.

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