Haresh Kutappan was sentenced to four years in prison last week for dealing drugs

Haresh Kutappan was sentenced to four years in prison last week for dealing drugs out of his Halifax apartment.The 30-year-old native of Malaysia came to Canada on a student visa in 1997. He lived in British Columbia for a few years, earned a computer science degree and later moved to Halifax in hopes of finding employment.But he soon lost his job at a local call centre and found himself without work or a place to live.That’s when the young man started selling drugs to survive.
The career choice was lucrative but short-lived.Police arrested Mr. Kutappan on Oct. 4 for remaining in the country after his student visa had expired. The arrest led to a search of his Robie Street apartment and the discovery of Mr. Kutappan’s drug stash.Officers seized about 1,100 grams of marijuana, 85 grams of powdered cocaine,15 grams of magic mushrooms and 281 ecstasy pills. They also seized $11,150 and various drug paraphernalia, including packaging material, measuring devices and score sheets.At first, Mr. Kutappan pleaded not guilty to the four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.But on Feb. 27 he changed his plea because the judge dismissed the argument that his charter rights were violated during the police search.The usual punishment for selling large amounts of cocaine ranges between two and five years in prison.In this case, federal Crown attorney Tim McLaughlin asked for a sentence on the higher end of the scale, while defence lawyer Brad Sarson argued for a term of incarceration between three and four years.
Justice Robert Wright of Nova Scotia Supreme Court decided on four years in prison, which equates to 38 months after time served is factored in.
The judge noted that Mr. Kutappan had no prior criminal record but said "nonetheless the courts must send the message that there will be serious penal consequences for those who choose to engage in such a nefarious trade, which inflicts such widespread damage to our communities."Because of his immigrant status, Mr. Kutappan is not eligible for day parole. Upon his release from prison, he will be immediately deported to Malaysia

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