Mr Tse Hon-yuen; Haldanes, assigned by DLA
HCCC 347/2013
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE
HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE
CRIMINAL CASE NO 347 OF 2013
-----------------
---------------------------------
Transcript of the Audio Recording of the Sentence in the above Case
COURT: The defendant, a 29-year-old Ugandan female, pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistracy to an offence of trafficking in 560 grammes of heroin and was committed to this court for sentence.
The facts of the case are straightforward. The defendant arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on a flight from Kenya on 14 March of this year. She was eventually found to have had 100 packets containing the charged drugs concealed internally. Given the nature and quantity of the drugs, I take a starting point of sentence of 17 years’ imprisonment. That starting point is enhanced to one of 18 years’ imprisonment to reflect the international element of the offence. The only mitigation of substance is the defendant’s plea of guilty. Taking that plea into account, the defendant is sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment.
The facts of the case are straightforward. The defendant arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on a flight from Kenya on 14 March of this year. She was eventually found to have had 100 packets containing the charged drugs concealed internally.
Given the nature and quantity of the drugs, I take a starting point of sentence of 17 years’ imprisonment. That starting point is enhanced to one of 18 years’ imprisonment to reflect the international element of the offence.
The only mitigation of substance is the defendant’s plea of guilty.
Taking that plea into account, the defendant is sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment.