FORMER MINISTERIAL AIDE BACK IN JAIL

Former provincial ministerial assistant Marshall Kendric Smith is in
Wilkinson Road jail facing charges of possession of marijuana for the
purpose of trafficking.

Smith, 31, a former corrections officer, appeared before a judge Friday and
was also charged with breaching the conditions of his conditional sentence
imposed in August.

These conditions are not being on Vancouver Island except for court
appearance, remaining under house arrest at his mother's home in North
Vancouver and not leaving home without the written permission of his bail
supervisor, said Central Saanich police Const. Paul Brailey.

Smith is to appear in court on Tuesday for a bail hearing.

He was arrested Thursday afternoon about 3 p.m. by Central Saanich police,
who had received a call from a driver who had seen a man sleeping in his
car by Fennell's Trailer Supplies Ltd. at 6459 Pat Bay Highway.

"Someone had a concern for his health," said Brailey.

Police searched the car and found 300 grams of marijuana.

In August, Smith stood in the prisoner's dock of a Victoria courtroom and
pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine for the
purpose of trafficking, and to two breaches of court orders. He was
sentenced to 12 months of house arrest at his mother's home.

Smith had been arrested July 1 and charged with trafficking in crystal
meth, a highly addictive illicit drug.

Then on July 15, Victoria police spotted his car weaving through a red
light. He was searched when police found he was under court-imposed
conditions after his previous arrest. Officers found $5,500 in his pockets
and car, more than eight grams of cocaine, and a pager.

He collapsed on arrival at the police station. As he was loaded onto a
stretcher for transport to the hospital, police found more than five grams
of crystal meth down the back of his pants.

Smith was released on bail on July 19, but arrested again on Aug. 1, after
once more breaching his release conditions.

Smith's lawyer Mike Mulligan told provincial court in August that Smith
first became addicted to diet pills, then to crystal meth, the court heard.