Mr Joseph Lam, instructed by the Legal Aid Department
HCCC 229/2012
HCCC229/2012
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE
HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE
CRIMINAL CASE NO. 229 OF 2012
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Transcript of the Audio Recording of the Sentence in the above Case
COURT: On 5 January of this year, the 42-year-old defendant was intercepted and searched as he attempted to enter Hong Kong through the Customs Arrival Hall at Lok Ma Chau.
The search revealed plastic bags attached to the defendant’s waist with adhesive tape. The plastic bags contained a total of 580 grammes of ketamine, together with an amount of para-amino benzine sulphonamide, which is not subject to any charge before me and which I ignore for the purposes of sentencing in this case. The defendant subsequently pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistracy to trafficking in the ketamine, and has been committed to this court for sentence. Given the nature of the charged drug and the quantity of it, I take a starting point of sentence of 11 years’ imprisonment. That is enhanced by 6 months to reflect the trans‑border element of the offence. The defendant’s plea of guilty is his only substantial mitigation, and his sentence is reduced to one of 7 years and 8 months’ imprisonment.
The search revealed plastic bags attached to the defendant’s waist with adhesive tape. The plastic bags contained a total of 580 grammes of ketamine, together with an amount of para-amino benzine sulphonamide, which is not subject to any charge before me and which I ignore for the purposes of sentencing in this case.
The defendant subsequently pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistracy to trafficking in the ketamine, and has been committed to this court for sentence.
Given the nature of the charged drug and the quantity of it, I take a starting point of sentence of 11 years’ imprisonment. That is enhanced by 6 months to reflect the trans‑border element of the offence.
The defendant’s plea of guilty is his only substantial mitigation, and his sentence is reduced to one of 7 years and 8 months’ imprisonment.