CRIMINAL CASE NO. 371 OF 2010
COURT: I have to sentence you for trafficking in dangerous drugs.
The drug in question was ketamine, and you were trafficking in 367 grammes of it.
You were in possession of the drugs at your home, where you were repackaging it into smaller amounts. Your motive was to make a profit.
It will have been explained to you that sentencing for drug trafficking is based on guidelines, which are in turn based on the quantity of the drug in question.
You are in the category that runs from 300 grammes to 600 grammes, attracting a starting point after trial of 6 to 9 years’ imprisonment.
You have a clear record. Your counsel has mitigated very nicely on your behalf and explained the events that led up to you seeking to make money in this way.
In those circumstances, especially because you pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court, I shall take a starting point at the very bottom of the bracket, and that is a starting point of 9 years’ imprisonment.
You earn a one-third discount because of your plea, and accordingly, the sentence I pass is one of 6 years’ imprisonment.