DAD FACES PRISON IN COCAINE SEIZURE

JAMES Jenner is facing a double-digit prison sentence after being convicted
yesterday of possessing the largest cocaine seizure in Winnipeg history.

The 42-year-old married father of one showed little emotion as Queen's
Bench Justice Theodore Glowacki rejected his defence to a charge of
possessing $2 million worth of cocaine.

A sentencing date will be set later this month. Crown attorney Paul Jensen
is expected to ask for a penalty in the range of 10 to 12 years, which
would set a new benchmark for drug cases in Manitoba.

Defence lawyer Jay Prober said he would consider seeking a conditional
sentence. He faces an uphill battle, as much lesser amounts of cocaine have
netted prison sentences in the range of two to eight years.

Jensen didn't ask the judge to order Jenner into custody yesterday, meaning
he will have a few more weeks on bail to get his affairs in order.

Glowacki cautioned Jenner not to leave the city. Prober had argued the case
against his client was entirely circumstantial and left more than a
reasonable doubt.

But Glowacki said there was enough evidence which suggested Jenner had care
and control of the drugs.

Police found 17 kilograms of cocaine inside a city storage locker
registered to Jenner in April 2002, court was told during the week-long trial.

Although undercover officers were tracking Jenner's movements for several
hours, they never saw him place the bag inside the locker.

The Crown admitted there was no direct evidence linking Jenner to the drugs
but say his actions leading up to the seizure raise serious questions.

Police believe the drugs had been shipped to Winnipeg from British Columbia.