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British woman to sue Gov’t 
Monday, 08 June 2009 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
A major blunder by personnel at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston which led to the arrest of a British woman on drug trafficking charges last month could cost the Jamaican Government millions of dollars.
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }Lawyers representing the British woman are to file a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Government.
Defence attorney
Oswest Senior Smith pledged to get justice for his client, Paulette Garricks, 34, shortly after she was freed in the Half-Way-Tree Criminal Court Monday morning.
Ms. Garricks, an IT (Information Technology) Project Manager, was charged with trying to smuggle 40 pounds of ganja out of the country in April.
The narcotics police say they intercepted a suitcase with her name tag on it which was loaded with the drug.
But in court on Monday, Mr. Senior Smith was able to convince the court that a terrible wrong had been done to his client.
According to him, Ms. Garricks checked in one piece of luggage which was properly identified.
Mr. Senior Smith also argued that a customer service agent at the airport mistakenly placed Ms. Garricks' name tag on the suitcase that turned out to contain the weed, thinking that it was hers.
He said the statement of the agent, Cathy Ann Small, who has also been charged in the case, backs up Ms. Garricks' statement.
"We are contemplating suit immediately against British Airways and the Government of Jamaica through the police officer and the Attorney General of Jamaica," said Mr. Senior Smith.
Ms. Small reportedly told the cops that Ms. Garrick was the last passenger to check in.
She said she saw the untagged suitcase and thought it belonged to Ms. Garrick and therefore she placed a tag on it. (Ms. Small more than likely had a vested interst in this suitcase)
Hair cut off with a knife
Mr. Senior Smith said he will be seeking damages for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment.
In addition to suffering the indignity of being locked up, Mr. Senior Smith said his client's constitutional rights were breached when the police cut off her hair while in lock-up.
"Her hair was cut with a knife (and) she had to suffer the barbarism for more than an hour as the police officers at the station told her that she could not enter the cell with such long hair and as such they used a knife to cut off my client's hair. She was also forced to remove her navel ring ... those are some of the factors we intend to highlight in the suit," he said.
Mr. Senior Smith added that Ms. Garricks also lost her job in the United Kingdom as a result of the incident.
Monday, 08 June 2009 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }A major blunder by personnel at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston which led to the arrest of a British woman on drug trafficking charges last month could cost the Jamaican Government millions of dollars.st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }Lawyers representing the British woman are to file a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Government.
Defence attorney
Oswest Senior Smith pledged to get justice for his client, Paulette Garricks, 34, shortly after she was freed in the Half-Way-Tree Criminal Court Monday morning.
Ms. Garricks, an IT (Information Technology) Project Manager, was charged with trying to smuggle 40 pounds of ganja out of the country in April.
The narcotics police say they intercepted a suitcase with her name tag on it which was loaded with the drug.
But in court on Monday, Mr. Senior Smith was able to convince the court that a terrible wrong had been done to his client.
According to him, Ms. Garricks checked in one piece of luggage which was properly identified.
Mr. Senior Smith also argued that a customer service agent at the airport mistakenly placed Ms. Garricks' name tag on the suitcase that turned out to contain the weed, thinking that it was hers.
He said the statement of the agent, Cathy Ann Small, who has also been charged in the case, backs up Ms. Garricks' statement.
"We are contemplating suit immediately against British Airways and the Government of Jamaica through the police officer and the Attorney General of Jamaica," said Mr. Senior Smith.
Ms. Small reportedly told the cops that Ms. Garrick was the last passenger to check in.
She said she saw the untagged suitcase and thought it belonged to Ms. Garrick and therefore she placed a tag on it. (Ms. Small more than likely had a vested interst in this suitcase)
Hair cut off with a knife
Mr. Senior Smith said he will be seeking damages for malicious prosecution and false imprisonment.
In addition to suffering the indignity of being locked up, Mr. Senior Smith said his client's constitutional rights were breached when the police cut off her hair while in lock-up.
"Her hair was cut with a knife (and) she had to suffer the barbarism for more than an hour as the police officers at the station told her that she could not enter the cell with such long hair and as such they used a knife to cut off my client's hair. She was also forced to remove her navel ring ... those are some of the factors we intend to highlight in the suit," he said.
Mr. Senior Smith added that Ms. Garricks also lost her job in the United Kingdom as a result of the incident.
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Mine a get Mosiah to hang yuh by yuh seedbag 
yuh hear say me a go round a...y'kno what...
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