Lucky escape for 83-y-o St Ann drug convict

An 83-year-old St Ann man narrowly escaped going to jail last week after he was found guilty of trying to take five pounds of cocaine out of the country.Derrick Hall, 83, of St. Ann was convicted on January 20 in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrates court for possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine and taking steps to export cocaine.Last Monday, January 27, the elderly Hall appeared before Resident Magistrate Wilson Smith for sentencing. He, however, escaped going to jail after his attorney Oswest Senior Smith pleaded with the Magistrate not to send him to jail especially because of his age.The magistrate later handed down a six-month prison sentence which he suspended for three years. This means Hall will go to jail for that crimeonly if he commits himself within the space of three years.Hall was also fined a $100,000 or six months in prison for dealing in cocaine and $100,000 or six month in prison for taking steps to export cocaine.It is alleged against Hall that on March 14, 2011, he was about to board a flight to Canada from the Donald Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay when his luggage was searched. Cocaine weighing approximately five pounds was reportedly found hidden inside his suitcase.The accused reportedly told investigators that it was his daughter who had packed his luggage.  He was arrested and charged. Following investigations, police also arrested the man’s daughter Jennifer Hall. The daughter was freed during the trial.