By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 59-year-old Belize City resident has been fined after pleading guilty to possession of crack cocaine, avoiding a custodial sentence.
Lydia Clara Castillo, a domestic worker of Hyde Street, appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate in Court #3, where she was initially charged with possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply. However, she pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and guilty to simple possession, which was accepted by the prosecution.
Castillo was fined a total of $285—$280 for the offense and $5 in court costs. She has until June 30, 2026, to pay the fine, in default of which she will serve two months’ imprisonment.
According to police, the incident occurred on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at around 9:55 a.m., when officers attached to the Gang Intelligence Investigation and Interdiction Unit conducted operations in the Lake Independence area. Acting on information received, police visited Castillo’s residence on Hyde Street to search for illegal firearms and ammunition.
During the operation, an officer reported seeing Castillo at the back of her home throwing several small silver-wrapped objects through the back door. The items landed near the officer’s feet and were later identified as nine separate parcels containing a white substance suspected to be crack cocaine, weighing a total of 1.9 grams.
Castillo was immediately detained, and a subsequent search of her home yielded no additional incriminating items. She was then taken to the Mahogany Street Police Sub-Station, where she was formally charged.
The court ultimately imposed a non-custodial sentence, leaving Castillo with a conviction and a fine to settle by the end of June.
The post ‘Mammy’ fined $285 after trying to get rid of crack but throwing it right at police officer’s feet appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 59-year-old Belize City resident has been fined after pleading guilty to possession of crack cocaine, avoiding a custodial sentence. Lydia Clara Castillo, a domestic worker of Hyde Street, appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate in Court #3, where she was initially charged with possession of controlled drugs with intent
The post ‘Mammy’ fined $285 after trying to get rid of crack but throwing it right at police officer’s feet appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
