Cocaine addict jailed for 19 months

A self-confessed cocaine addict was jailed for 19 months yesterday by San Fernando magistrate Christine Charles when he appeared on charges of larceny and possession of cocaine.

Julian Sylvan, 50, of Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, was represented by attorney Shivanie Teekasingh who appeared amicus (as a friend of the court). One charge was that between November 20 and 21, he broke and entered Cocoyea Supermarket, stealing $56,055 in alcohol, cigarettes and phone cards.

Sylvan was also charged with breaking and entering the Cocoyea Open Bible church and stealing a laptop valued $3,000 between November 10 and 11.

He was also charged with stealing a bluetooth speaker valued $525 from J Jads Designs in Cocoyea on November 28.

The fourth charge was that on December 23, at Cipero Street, San Fernando, he had cocaine. The court heard the arresting officer was on mobile patrol, stopped to search an abandoned building, saw Sylvan lying in a corner, searched him and found the cocaine – 0.8 grammes – in his pocket. Sylvan pleaded guilty to both charges.

Teekasingh told the court Slyvan had fallen victim to drug addiction, suffers from asthma and his skull was fractured in 2016. She said he lives with his wife in Cocoyea and has one child. But Charles was not swayed and told Sylvan he is the only person who can decide to change his life. After considering the nine previous convictions on his record – four for cocaine possession and five for larceny in the last ten years alone – she sentenced him to four months’ hard labour for stealing the speaker and 15 months’ hard labour for the possession of cocaine. He was remanded for the other two charges and will return to court on January 24.