Man fined $5,000 for breaking COVID curfew

A man was fined $5,000 for breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday.

The court heard that Dalton Bartley, 27, was seen on the road in Cassava Piece on Saturday, March 27 at 1:10 p.m., when the curfew started at noon.

He was also charged for dealing marijuana and having marijuana in his possession. He pleaded guilty to those charges but provided an explanation.

"Your Honour, I had less than two ounces of marijuana and I was on my way home," he told the court. Chief Parish Judge Chester Crooks asked Bartley why he was heading home after the curfew. Bartley said that he could not get any transportation home after going on the road to purchase cleaning supplies.

The court heard that Bartley told the police: "Officer, why unnu nuh like ghetto people? Officer, beg yuh a chance please."

Having heard the police report, Crooks freed Bartley of the marijuana charges, but gave him a stern warning not to commit the offence again. He was fined $5,000 or 30 days for breaching the curfew.

- T.T.