THE man whose alibi defence was described as ’bogus’ by a High Court Judge, after he was found guilty of having 20 kilogrammes of marijuana, was yesterday sent to jail for five years with hard labour.

Justice Anthony Carmona told Garrison Adams, 30, that he took into consideration that he spent the equivalent of eight prison years in custody awaiting trial following his arrest because he could not raise the bail.

Carmona reiterated his call for legislation to make it mandatory for individuals to provide notices of alibi (saying where they were at the time it is alleged they committed a crime) at the time of arrest.

This measure, Carmona said, would help police establish early whether the abili was true.

The law gives a person committed to stand trial, ten days to give notice of an alibi.

Carmona said on Tuesday that with some preliminary enquiries going on for months or years before they are completed, accused persons are given ample time to fabricate an alibi.

Yesterday he commended PC Byron Lee and Ag Cpl Leon Haynes for what he described as excellent police work.

’The police are subject to a lot of blows by the public,’ Carmona said.

’So when they do good work, they must be commended.’

Garrison’s trial was heard before Carmona and a nine-member jury in the Second Assize Court in San Fernando and ended on Tuesday with announcement of the guilty verdict.

Led by State attorney Mauriceia Joseph, Lee told the court that he, Haynes and other police officers went to Herrerra Trace, Penal Rock Road, Moruga on November 11, 2003.

From the cover of some bushes, they saw Adams and another man, under an abandoned house, placing the illegal herb into several black plastic bags.