NASSAU- A husband and wife have failed to convince an appeals court to toss their drug convictions.
Patrick Bosfield was sentenced to 2 ½ years behind bars and fined $15,000. If he doesn’t pay the fine before his sentence expires, Bosfield will spend another year in prison.
His wife Veronica was fined $15,000 or one year in prison.
Police executed a search warrant on the couple’s home at Devonshire Drive in Coral Harbour on April 5, 2018.
They found drugs, with a total weight of 75 pounds, throughout the home. Additionally, the found 68 marijuana plants in 20 pots around the swimming pool.
Police found drugs on a tray on the kitchen counter, in the kitchen cupboard, on the night stand in Mrs Bosfield’s bedroom and in the ceiling of the home.
Officers also seized a vacuum sealer and plastic bags.
The Bosfields were convicted on charges of drug possession with intent to supply and drug cultivation in October 2019.
Magistrate Samuel McKinney convicted Mr Bosfield and found him responsible for all of the seized drugs.
However, he only convicted Mrs Bosfield of possession of the drugs found in plain sight in the home.
Upon arrest, Mr Bosfield told the officers that he smoked marijuana for pain. He said if the government allowed each citizen to have at least 15 ganja plants “people would stop killing.”
He did not dispute this at trial. As a result, the appeals court said Mr Bosfield’s conviction was inevitable.
Mrs Bosfield argued that she was wrongly convicted because the drugs belonged to her husband.
Still, she admitted knowledge about the marijuana plants. Concerning the drugs in the kitchen, Mrs Bosfield said her husband smoked recreationally.
Dismissing the appeals on Tuesday, Sir Michael Barnett said Magistrate’ McKinney’s finding was “unimpeachable.”
He said it was reasonable for the magistrate to find Mrs Bosfield had control of the drugs found in open areas.
