By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 56-year-old Belize City man who spent more than three months behind bars after being unable to post bail for possession of just 0.4 grams of crack cocaine has been sent back to prison for another four months because of outstanding court fines.
Wellington Williams appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, October 20, where he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty for possession of a controlled drug.
Williams had been on remand since July 17, 2026, after police allegedly found a small quantity of crack cocaine wrapped in white paper inside his pants pocket during a search on Douglas Jones Street.
The magistrate sentenced him to three months in prison but credited him for the time already spent on remand, effectively allowing him to walk free.
However, his anticipated release was short-lived after court records revealed two outstanding fines: $504 dating back to 2022 and another $555 from 2026, totalling $1,059.
Because the fines remained unpaid, Williams was committed to the Belize Central Prison to serve an additional four months.
According to information presented in court, warrants relating to the outstanding fines had not been forwarded for enforcement during the three months Williams was already incarcerated. As a result, he had not served the prison terms associated with those unpaid fines while on remand.
Williams, who reportedly suffers from a medical condition, had initially been granted bail in the drug possession case but remained imprisoned because no one was able to secure his release.
His case had been scheduled to proceed to trial, with disclosure already provided, before he decided to change his plea.
The outcome means Williams, who had already spent more time behind bars than the sentence imposed for possessing 0.4 grams of crack cocaine, must now serve another four months because of his outstanding financial obligations to the court.
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