HKSAR v. MUTURU, ESTHER WAITHIRA

HCCC 322/2013

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CRIMINAL CASE NO 322 OF 2013

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Transcript of the Audio Recording
of the Sentence in the above Case

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COURT: The defendant, a 32-year-old Kenyan female, pleaded guilty in Eastern Magistracy to an offence of trafficking in 550 grammes of heroin and was committed to this court for sentence.

On 21 January this year, the defendant arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on a flight from Kenya. She was searched at the airport and also taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for a medical examination and eventually was discovered to have 101 pellets containing the charged drugs contained within her body.

Given the quantity and nature of the drugs, I take a starting point of sentence of 17 years’ imprisonment. The international element of the offence enhances that starting point to one of 18 years’ imprisonment.

The only mitigation of substance available to the defendant is her plea of guilty.

Taking that into account, her sentence is reduced to one of 12 years’ imprisonment.