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Teen acquitted of three drugs charges

Charges against one of six people found in a hotel room with cannabis and cocaine were dismissed as the Crown finished its case.Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo yesterday acquitted 16-year-old Sadune Raynor, who had been charged with two counts of possessing cannabis and one count of misusing a controlled drug.However, for five other defendants, including his mother and older brother, the trial is expected to continue today.Temiko Wilson, 23, faces eight drug charges, including possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply, while his girlfriend Erica Raynor, 38, faces four charges, including permitting a room be used for the misuse of illegal drugs and one count of cannabis possession.Dayrion McCalla, 20, faces charges of possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply and a charge of misusing a controlled drug, while both Jahfari Raynor, 18, and Malcom Augustus, 18, now face a single charge of misusing a controlled drug.The charges stem from a raid on a Fairmont Hamilton Princess hotel room at 8.25pm on Good Friday.Police officers testified last week that they could smell cannabis in the hotel hallway, and when they entered the room they found a thick cloud of smoke.In total, around four grams of cannabis and 1.56g of cocaine freebase were found in the room.As the trial continued yesterday, Crown counsel Cindy Clarke played a recorded interview with Mr McCalla, who denied statements from officers that a bag containing cannabis and individually wrapped rocks of crack cocaine fell out of his lap during the raid.“I just stood up and it was there on the ground,” he told police. “It wasn't mine. My fingerprints won't be on it and my DNA won't be on it. Honest to God. I don't sell it and I have no reason to sell it.”He said he had been invited to the hotel room earlier that day by Jahfari Raynor and arrived with Mr Augustus around 20 minutes before Police arrived.“I knew there was marijuana in the room. I could smell it when I came in.”Inside the room, he said he saw a small cannabis cigarette being passed around.He said he was falling asleep watching a movie when Police came through the door, and he only noticed the bag containing the drugs when he stood up.The cocaine freebase found inside the bag had an estimated street value of $700.Ms Raynor took the stand yesterday, saying that although she rented the room, she did not smoke any cannabis there and had no knowledge of the illegal drugs.On the day of the raid, she said she had left the room for around five hours, and returned only around half an hour before police arrived. Asked by Ms Clarke if she had smelled cannabis in the room when she returned, she said: “I smoke, so I don't smell anything.”The trial is expected to continue today.