Tashieka Mair, Star Writer
western bureau

A Briton's decision to 'take a risk has proved costly for her, as she will spend the next six months behind bars for attempting to leave Jamaica with cocaine and ganja.

Tanya Tribe, 42, of London, England, was on Thursday sent to prison and fined $152,000 in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court, despite pleas by her attorney for a non-custodial sentence.

The designer, who is also training to become a driving instructor, has been in custody since January 28, when she was held at the Sangster International Airport with ganja disguised in wine bottles and cocaine-laden lotion.

suspicious contents

Her attorney, Adrian Dayes, told the court that his client was given the items to take back to England during her stay with friends of her Jamaican boyfriend.

He said his client had suspicions about the content but decided to take the risk, as her hosts were extremely good to her while she stayed with them.

Mr. Dayes also begged that she not be sent to prison, as she has a daughter and an 80-year-old adopted mother who depend on her.

Over but out

In her response, RM Winsome Henry said Tribe should have been more careful in making the decision she did. The RM also stated that it would be easy to 'over' the matter of ganja, but not cocaine.

The RM imposed a three-month sentence for the cocaine charges and six months in prison on each count of ganja. Tribe was also fined $12,000 for possession of ganja and $40,000 for attempting to export the drug. She was also fined $25,000 for possession of cocaine and $75,000 for attempting to export. If the ganja fines are not paid she will serve an additional three months.

However if she does not pay the cocaine fines she will serve an extra six months. All the sentences will run concurrently.

Tribe went to the Sangster International Airport on January 28 and checked in to board a My Travel flight to Gatwick, London. Her suitcase was searched at the AJAS counter and four bottles labelled as wine were found.

Each bottle contained a package of ganja that weighed 7.5 pounds. A bottle of lotion was also searched and one package of cocaine weighing a half of a pound was found.