Teens fined for drug possession
Two teenagers were fined in Magistrates’ Court after admitting to charges of drug possession.Tahva Virgil, 16, was arrested on July 28 last year at the Southampton Cricket Club on suspicion of possessing cannabis.Crown counsel Susan Mulligan told the court that at around 10.05pm that day, police attending the club saw Virgil sitting with a group of people.When he noticed the officers, police said he nervously stood up and appeared to search through his pockets.The officers searched Virgil and discovered a clear plastic twist containing plant material, later revealed to be 0.47g of cannabis.Asked about the cannabis, he told officers that he had just found it.Virgil, who was already on remand for another matter, pleaded guilty to the offence and was fined $1,000 by Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner. He was additionally fined $1,500 for having the drugs in an increased penalty zone.Kamrone Whiting, 18, also admitted drug offences, pleading guilty to possessing cannabis and cocaine.According to Ms Mulligan, Whiting was arrested on a separate matter on December 1. At around 7.57am the next day, police custodial staff were searching him when they noticed plastic and paper twists fall from his pants leg.One of the twists was found to contain one gram of cocaine, while the other held 6.3g of cannabis.Mr Warner fined Whiting, who the court heard is in custody for another matter, a total of $1,600 for the drug offences or 80 days in prison for each offence, with the sentences to run concurrently.