COURT: The defendant has pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, contrary to section 4 of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. He is committed to this court for sentence.
In the evening on 18 April 2022, police officers on patrol car duty spotted a car driven by the defendant moving suspiciously. They tried to intercept the car. Eventually, they located the car outside a garage. Upon seeing the arrival of the police, the defendant fled the car, leaving his girlfriend behind.
A search of the car uncovered 42.7 grammes of cocaine. The defendant was put on wanted list. He was finally arrested by the police on 27 July 2022. The defendant admitted that he was trafficking in the cocaine found inside the car at the material time.
The defendant is now 31, educated up to Form 3 level in Hong Kong. The defendant has six criminal records none relating to trafficking in dangerous drug. Prior to his arrest, he was unemployed.
Mitigation letters from the defendant’s sister and inmates have been produced. In particular, the inmates speak highly of him.
The starting point for trafficking in 42.7 grammes of cocaine is one of 7 years and 5 months’ imprisonment. There is nothing in this case pointing to the role played by the defendant was anything other than a simple courier. Apart from his earliest plea, there are no other mitigating factors in my view in this particular case.
For the sole offence the defendant stands convicted, he is therefore sentenced to 59 months’ imprisonment. That is 4 years and 11 months.