Jahshii and co-accused fined $50,000 for curfew breach

Dancehall artiste Jahshii and six co-accused were yesterday ordered to pay $50,000 fines for breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) when they appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

Jahshii, given name Mluleki Clarke, was charged along with Damonic Alvaranga, Maldini Smith, Raymond Gyles, Renado Clarke, Shaquille Gilzene and Andre Irving. The court heard that on February 10 at 3:45 a.m., police teams were on patrol along Red Hills Road when they observed two motor vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 and BMW X1, and signalled the drivers to stop. When asked the purpose for being on the road during curfew hours, the men reportedly told police that they were coming from a party in Brook Valley, St Andrew. The police indicated that when the men were cautioned, only Jahshii replied "Offica, wi nah gi yuh trouble."

Demitri Adams, who represented the men, submitted that the men were recording at a studio and lost track of time.

"They made a judgement call. They decided that it was closer to 5 a.m., the lifting of the curfew, and they decide to try and make their way home. That is why they were on the road at that particular time. It was not that they were coming from a party. My only regret Your Honour, is that Mr Clarke [Jahshii] promised me a dub and that wasn't the dub he was recording on that day but in the circumstances Your Honour, I would be bold in asking for the gentlemen to be admonished and discharged at the highest Your Honour," the lawyer said.

Senior Parish Court Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague said that she had to be held accountable to the residents of the country for persons who breach the DRMA.

"How do I account to the citizens of the country for persons who [are] recording at the studio, driving these high-end vehicles and then there is the poor man at the bottom, who comes before the court? But I won't go to the $1 million," the judge said, referring to the maximum fine for breaching the DRMA. The men were then fined $50,000 or would have to face six months' imprisonment. A warrant was ordered for another accused, Akeem Brown, who was absent from court.

Last year, an 18-year-old was charged $30,000 for breaching the curfew while two sisters were fined $200,000 for not wearing masks.

This is the second time in the month that Jahshii was before the courts for breaching the DRMA. He and dancehall producer Dane Ray appeared in the St Elizabeth Parish Court on February 14 for not wearing masks, a charge that emanated from their arrest at an illegal party held on New Year's Eve in Leeds. They escaped without punishment.