Police v Singh [2006] CKHC 33; CR377.06 (20 October 2006)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE COOK ISLANDS
HELD AT RAROTONGA
(CRIMINAL DIVISION)

CR NO: 377/06

POLICE

v

ABHINDRA SINGH
Defendant

Sgt Howard	for Police
Ms. Rokoika Vakalalabure	for Defendant
Date of Sentence:	20 October 2006

SENTENCE OF WESTON J

1. Mr Singh, you are here today for sentence on a narcotics charge, albeit it is at the lower end of the potential scale. The offence of itself is relatively minor but what is concerning about this, at least to me, are two factors.
2. One is that you have very recently been convicted of another offence in this country. I accept that you behaved responsibly by paying compensation but you can imagine that the Court takes a rather dim view of someone who has committed two offences in such a short time.
3. The second matter is that, like me, you are a visitor to this country and when you are a visitor here, you owe certain obligations and one of them is not to do this. You want to keep coming here, and you want to keep doing business here. Yet, you have abused the laws of this country and that is the wrong thing to do.
4. I am not going to order deportation. I am not sure even that I have jurisdiction and, as the Police have said, I think that is a matter that lies elsewhere. But you are going to have to be very careful in your future endeavours, that you do not do this sort of silliness again. You are a grown man Mr Singh, you have got a family, you do not need this sort of nonsense.
5. So, what I am going to do is I am going to fine you $500 plus Court costs of $50.

Judge