HKSAR v. Miseda Gideon Keno

Read the full judgment text of HCCC 368/2019 on BabelCite. This High Court CFI judgment was delivered on 10 March 2020.

Case No.HCCC 368/2019[2020] HKCFI 523
Court
High Court CFI
Date10 Mar 2020
Judge
Case Document
100%Judiciary

HCCC 368/2019

[2020] HKCFI 523

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CRIMINAL CASE NO 368 OF 2019

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  HKSAR  
  v  
  Miseda Gideon Keno  

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Before: Hon Andrew Chan J
Date: 10 March 2020 at 10.03 am
Present: Miss Mickey Fung, SPP of the Department of Justice, for HKSAR
Mr Philip Geoffrey Ross, instructed by CLY Lawyers, assigned by DLA, for the accused
Offence: Trafficking in a dangerous drug (販運危險藥物)

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Transcript of the Audio Recording

of the Sentence in the above Case

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COURT:

The defendant has pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug in the Magistrate Court and is committed to this court for sentence.

Summary of Facts reveals that the defendant came to Hong Kong on 10 December 2018 from Ethiopia. Suspecting that the defendant might have concealed drugs inside his body, he was taken by customs officer to hospital for further examination. A total of 40 packets totalling 323 grammes of cocaine was discharged from his body.

The street value was estimated to be over HK$440,000.

The defendant is now aged 30, a Kenyan national. Prior to his arrest, the defendant was a businessman in Kenya selling cooking gas and motor spare parts. His monthly income was about HK$7,500.

Guidelines on sentencing are clear. In my view, the starting point for trafficking in 323 grammes of cocaine is one of 13 years and 6 months. There is, however, an international element in this case. For that, an additional 6 months will be added. Apart from his plea, there are no other mitigating circumstances which can further reduce the sentence. As such, the defendant is therefore sentenced to 9 years and 4 months.