A man who took responsibility for an old stash of drugs he claimed his brother had forgotten about was fined $5,000 in the Supreme Court yesterday.

Rodney Craig Simmons, 32, of Tribe Road, Warwick pleaded guilty to possessing 44.89 grams of cannabis which would come to $2,200 at street value.

Assistant Justice Carlisle Greaves handed down a stiff sentence in what he said was an effort to stamp out organised drug dealing in the community. Simmons, who works as a gas station attendant and part time taxi driver, maintained the drugs were left in a jacket belonging to is brother Dennis in a spare room at his house. His brother has since moved out of the house.

The drugs were found in the jacket pocket in plastic bags after Police searched Dennis?s old room on January 3, 2003. Crown Counsel Anthony Blackman recommended Simmons be fined for the offence at the Judge?s discretion.

Defence lawyer Mark Pettingill also supported a fine for the offence, telling the court that ?this is a hardworking 32 year old man who supports a child and has no previous convictions of this nature.?

Mr. Pettingill said the defendant accepted responsibility for the drugs, which appeared to be of ?some vintage? and had been left in the jacket for some time.

However, Mr. Greaves pointed out that Simmons was the brother of a man who has appeared in court for conspiring to import over $1 million dollars of cannabis.

Mr. Greaves told the court that the ?people of Bermuda are not being able to get rightful justice in this drugs battle? and in order to stamp out organised drug dealing both stiffer fines and imprisonment were justifiable sentences.

?The eyes of the people are upon you so don?t be fooled,? said Mr. Greaves. ?You?re day will come and we?re going to catch you and burn you, so know that you?re being watched like the hawk in the air to a mouse in the fields.?

Mr. Greaves said he fully supported imposing stiffer fines as laid out in this year?s throne speech in an effort to save the younger generation from the ?carnage of this drugs business.?

Simmons?s brother Dennis appeared last month in the Supreme Court to face charges for conspiring to import over $1 million worth of cannabis with Kingsley Owen (Critter) Young.

In January, 2003, Police discovered the 19 packets of cannabis concealed within a television and dryer unit imported from Baltimore, Maryland, addressed to Mr. Young.

Young was unanimously acquitted by a jury on two separate counts of conspiracy to import cannabis and conspiracy to possess a controlled drug with intent to supply. Simmons, however, who has already pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to import cannabis and received a three-year jail term.

Yesterday, Mr. Pettingill defended his client stating the drugs found in the Simmons home were a separate and distinct bundle from the drugs in this case, he agreed that one has to be careful of who one keeps company with even if it is your own brother. Mr. Greaves told Simmons that he would have to pay the $5,000 fine on the spot or go to jail for 12 months.