Woman to give birth while serving prison term in Guyana

TIMES INT'L

A pregnant woman who was arrested for attempting to take ganja into the New Amsterdam Prison in Guyana, has been sentenced for one year behind bars by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo.
Venan McDonald of Angoys Avenue had in January pleaded guilty at the Sisters Magistrate’s Court to a charge of taking narcotics to the prison, but was to be sentenced on February 7.
She was attempting to take 13.9 grams of cannabis into the prison.
In February, she complained of having a tummy ache and the sentencing was postponed. The woman was subsequently admitted as a patient at the Maternity Ward of the New Amsterdam Hospital.
McDonald was arrested when the drug was discovered in a flap of one of her pockets. At the time, McDonald was visiting her husband Lamant Leacock, who is currently serving a sentence for larceny. She carried fresh clothing and a few other items, including the drug, but the illegal item was discovered when one of the prison officers searched through the items that were entering the prison.
The mother of two pleaded with the magistrate to show compassion for her considering her physical state. Asked by Magistrate Nagamootoo why she committed the act, McDonald said she did not have anything to do to earn money to provide for her two children.
The woman said she did not know when her due date was, and at that point Magistrate Nagamootoo asked prison officials, who were in court whether there were provisions for babies and newborns. The court was told that the prison only has accommodation for babies one- year- old. The magistrate then imposed the one year sentence on McDonald.

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