Costly ‘bad drive’ revenge - Cabbie pays dearly for stoning JUTC bus

Elvis Abrahams, the taxi operator captured on video throwing stones at Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus, was given two years probation after pleading guilty to damaging the government's property.

"We can't have people like you on the road behaving in such a wanton and dangerous way," Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell told Abrahams. Prosecutors in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday outlined that on October 9, Abrahams threw stones at the bus, while passengers were aboard, causing damage to the driver's window.

"So why you did that?" Burrell probed. The taxi man started answering, but was interrupted by the senior jurist, who expressed that Abrahams "could not have a good explanation".

"There cannot be a good reason," Burrell reiterated.

But Abrahams continued, stressing that the bus driver "bad drive'' him and drove away. He added that he was actually aiming to hit the driver.

"So, you used to play for the West Indies team? You were a bowler?" the sitting judge asked, followed by laughter in the courtroom.

Representatives from the bus company were present in court and indicated that the damage totalled $97,240.13. A full payment of $97,300 was made by Abrahams in court, who explained that he has been saving his daily fares to make restitution. Abrahams indicated that he makes $7,000 a day.

"So, you had to save up two weeks of money because you didn't think. You want to beat yourself, don't it? It was a very costly error, very costly. Do not let it happen again," the parish judge warned.