TEN MORE DAYS OF FREEDOM FOR GWILT

Friends Plan Party Before Pot Seller Sentenced

Carol Gwilt, the owner of a cafe that openly dispensed marijuana for
six months in 2004 before police shut it down, arrived in B.C.
Supreme Court yesterday prepared to begin serving a 15-month prison sentence.

The Da Kine Cafe's contraband wares were an open secret around
Commercial Drive in East Vancouver for six months.

But Crown counsel Paul Riley said he wasn't prepared to agree with
some of the facts outlined by defence lawyer Jason Gratl, so the
hearing was adjourned to Sept. 15.

In May, a jury convicted Gwilt, 39, of possession of marijuana for
the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime
relating to a bust Sept. 16, 2004.

Police estimated the Da Kine Cafe did $30,000 worth of business per day.

In July, Gwilt surprisingly pleaded guilty to two similar counts
relating to a high-profile raid on the cafe by heavily armed police,
which was televised live on evening newscasts on Sept. 9, 2004.

Crown and defence were prepared to make a joint submission on the
sentence, but Justice Catherine Wedge would not have been bound by
it. Crown and defence are believed to have agreed they will propose a
15-month sentence.

Gwilt, who has no prior criminal record, spent 34 days in jail before
being granted bail in 2004.

Riley told the judge he didn't think some of the information Gratl
intended to put before her was relevant to the sentencing, but he
asked the judge for the adjournment so he could verify it anyway.

About a dozen of Gwilt's supporters who attended the proceedings said
they planned to throw a party for the former Da Kine Cafe owner to
celebrate her additional 10 days of freedom.