Fort Regent clubber “chewed” suspected drugs while officers tried to arrest him

Saturday 10 June 2017

A man who tried to chew through a tissue packet that police believed to have contained drugs while restrained on the ground has been fined £600.

20-year-old Myles Quemard appeared before the Magistrates Court on Wednesday, accused of having intentionally obstructed a police officer from executing his duty.

Police uncovered a 10 pence-sized piece of “hard white tissue” following a search as Quemard emerged from a toilet cubicle at Fort Regent on 15 April – the night of the BLKOUT dance music event.

He initially alleged that it was medicine and the suspicious package was placed on a table away from him.

When told he was under arrest, the defendant was said to have responded, “It’s not mine, I don’t know what it is,” before a struggle ensued.

Resisting the officer, Quemard grabbed the tissue from the table and placed it in his mouth. Quemard broke free as an other police tried to restrain him, but he was eventually taken to the floor, where he was observed to have been, “…chewing and trying to swallow the item while on the ground.”

The Jersey-born youth later said that he had “panicked” and later apologised to the officer from whom he had tried to escape.

Advocate Fontes, defending, told the court that Quemard had previously used drugs, but had made “significant attempts” to move away from their use – including a self-imposed ban on “going out”.

According to the defence, he was “remorseful” for his actions, and dismayed that, “…past actions have come back to bite him despite his best efforts.”

Nonetheless, Magistrate Peter Harris told Quemard, who had claimed that he did not know what was in the small package: “Your version of events is barely plausible.”

In handing down his financial penalty - £600 to be paid in three monthly instalments – Magistrate Harris warned the youth over the implications of his actions for his future career prospects.

“Jersey is a small place… You have to be very careful.”