Mortician fined for lying to passport office

A mortician who claimed he only lied to Jamaica's passport office so that he could get a chance to visit his children overseas, was ordered to pay $70,000 for his crime when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Courtney McIntosh admitted to the court that he was guilty of attempting to obtain a passport by false means, and guilty on two counts of uttering forged documents.

The court heard that on the day in question, McIntosh visited the passport office and presented two fraudulent documents so that he could obtain a passport.

McIntosh's attorney vouched for his client, saying he is a hardworking man who specialises in the bathing of dead bodies, and that he has acknowledges his mistake.

The attorney also said McIntosh has children overseas and he was trying to reconnect with them by visiting them.

To this, Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey questioned, "The plane that goes there doesn't come here?"

However, she was moved by the lawyer's appeal, as she declined to fine the accused the highest possible penalty ($1 million) for lying to the passport office.

Instead, the mortician was ordered to pay $30,000 or spend six months in prison for attempting to obtain a passport by false means, and $20,000 each on both counts of uttering forged documents.

The accused told the RM he was thankful for her leniency.