Things don’t go better with coke; Summerland man sentenced for cocaine possession

PENTICTON – Describing a Summerland arborist-in-training's addiction as a "recipe for disaster," a Penticton judge handed the man a 30-day intermittent jail sentence earlier this week.

Jessie H. Sayers, 27, pleaded guilty to cocaine possession on Oct. 26 in Penticton court following his arrest for an incident that occurred April 9 in downtown Penticton.

Federal Crown prosecutor Ginger Holmes told court Sayers was noticed by police as they were conducting bar checks at downtown nightclubs. Sayers was known to police due to an incident that had taken place the previous night. He was advised by police to take a cab home and was observed leaving the area, only to return moments later.

Police approached him once more, found him to be impaired and arrested him. A police search at the Penticton detachment revealed four rocks of cocaine on Sayers’ person, weighing a total of 8.46 grams. He was taken into custody for possession of a controlled substance.

“It seems drugs are at the heart of Mr. Sayers’ problems,” defence lawyer Norman Yates said, adding his client was working towards full certification as an arborist and had a problem with substance abuse, in particular cocaine and alcohol.

Yates and Holmes presented Judge Gregory Koturbash with a joint submission of a 30-day intermittent sentence to allow Sayers to continue working.

Judge Koturbash agreed to the submission telling Sayers, "A coke head working in trees is a recipe for disaster."

He also advised Sayers to seek treatment for his addictions.

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