A man arrested for trafficking at the courthouse, while waiting to stand as witness in a drug trial, has been sentenced to more than a year in jail.
Hugh James Robb, 60, received an eight month jail sentence for a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking from 2014 and a seven month jail sentence for the same charge from a separate incident in December 2016 to be served consecutively for a total of 15 months in jail.
He will also have to abide by a lifetime firearms prohibition.
On December 9, 2016, Terrace RCMP reported that police officers and sheriffs arrested a witness at a drug trafficking trial for trafficking suspected cocaine inside of the courthouse on December 7, 2016.
Terrace RCMP said that Robb had been charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking at that time – one charge was stayed at a later date.
Robb was scheduled to give evidence as a witness in defense of Ellen New, who was on trial for unrelated drug trafficking charges, said police at that time.
New entered a guilty plea later that day after his arrest, said police.
“This is the first case I have heard of in 20 years of policing where a defense witness, while waiting to give evidence for a drug trafficking trial, was arrested for actively dealing drugs in a courthouse. The BC Sheriff’s department did a great job,” said Terrace RCMP inspector Syd Lecky on Dec. 9, 2016.
The sheriffs became suspicious of Robb after hearing a comment that he made to someone and then witnessing activity near the washrooms that appeared consistent with drug trafficking, said police at that time.
An astute sheriff followed Robb and another man into the washroom where the sheriff witnessed evidence leading to the arrest, continued police.
Upon searching, numerous packets suspected to be cocaine were located and police arrested Robb, said police.
At the time of his arrest at the courthouse, Robb was also awaiting sentencing on a prior conviction of possession for the purpose of trafficking from July 2014.