Beenie Man says he’s not above the law - Pleads guilty to breaching DRMA

Dancehall artiste Beenie Man pleaded guilty yesterday when he answered to charges of breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act in the St Elizabeth Parish Court in Black River.

However, the entertainer, given name Moses Davis, maintained a not-guilty plea to charges of Breaching the Noise Abatement Act. That charge was thrown out.

Davis' attorney, Roderick Gordon, said he was pleased with the outcome of the case, maintaining that his client was not hosting a party, as he was just at the location with a number of his fans.

"The matter was set for trial this morning in the St Elizabeth Parish Court, we attended court, and the clerk of court indicated that the Crown would be withdrawing the charge under the Noise Abatement Act that Mr Davis breached that act," said Gordon. "Having regards to the provision of the Disaster Risk Management order that was enforced at the time of the alleged incident, Mr Davis, in discussion with his counsel, took a different route today, a responsible route in regards to all the circumstances, and changed his plea from not guilty to guilty."

Plea of mitigation

He added, "He was accepted by the court, and Mr Davis is entitled to make a plea in mitigation regards his sentence, so a date is fixed for the court to hear his plea of mitigation to sentencing." Beenie Man, who is to return to court on May 17 for sentencing, can be fined up to $200,000.

"This is why a plea of mitigation is very important, because he can now be charged a minimum of, I don't know, $5000; it could be a minimum of a suspended sentence. So a fine could be issued and the court could say 'however, according to the circumstances, I take a particular course'. So there are a number of variables, and we think it is important to bring the variables to the court's attention," he said. Meanwhile, Beenie Man told THE STAR that he was very pleased with the outcome of the case.

"Them never charge mi fi the music, but them charge mi fi the gathering, and them seh crowd is against the COVID-19 law, and mi don't want them feel seh mi is above the law," he said. "So a so it go, mek Jamaica feel safe and the people them know seh we are with them. If that a the law, that a the law, so wi plead guilty to that one."

Beenie Man, 47, was charged by the Black River police last December for allegedly hosting a an illegal party in Shrewsbury district, St Elizabeth, on November 29.