Man charged for attempting to smuggle cigarettes into prison

A man was made to answer to Magistrate Judy Latchman as to why he attempted to smuggle four packs of cigarettes into the Camp Street Prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.

Gownauth Geer, 41, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him, but a guilty plea was entered after his explanation to the court.

The charge stated that on May 25, 2017 at the Georgetown Prison on Camp Street, he attempted to smuggle the prohibited substance into the facility.

Geer told Magistrate Latchman that he was, at the time of his arrest, working as a mason at the Prison, but was unaware that he was not permitted to take the cigarettes into the facility.

However, the prosecution told the court that the defendant attempted to smuggle the cigarettes into the prison in his long boots.

The defendant initially told the court that the cigarettes were in his boots as his pants pocket was wet. He later told the court that he had no pockets on his pants.

He was fined $60,000, with an alternative sentence of 12 months in prison.