MONTEGO BAY, St James - Samuel Dyer, a resident of London, England was yesterday sentenced to six months in jail and fined a total of $48,800, after telling the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court that he used ganja as a tea to help ease stomach discomfort.

The father of four who was arrested on Wednesday, January 24, pleaded guilty to possession of ganja, dealing in ganja and taking steps to export ganja.

Dyer, a security guard, told the court he had been suffering from stomach discomfort for a number of years but was afraid to seek medical attention. He said he feared the diagnosis would be intestinal cancer that also killed his father.

He told the court he was suspended with pay from his job that paid him £540 per week, pending a hearing into a racial discrimination hearing set for August.

Dyer was leaving the island on January 24 after a vacation when he was searched and six packages of compressed ganja were found hidden in a secret compartment in a green vest he was wearing.

He begged the court not to deport him and said he was willing to pay a fine.

He was sentenced to three months in prison and fined $8,800 or three months for possession of ganja. He was also sentenced to three months for dealing in ganja. Both sentences are to run concurrently.

He was also sentenced to three months for taking steps to export ganja and fined $40,000 or three months. This sentence is to run consecutively to the other two.

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