ST JAMES, Jamaica – A St James man avoided punishment when he admitted to being rowdy during a traffic stop on the Long Hill main road in the parish and was only ordered to pay a fine of $2,000 in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.
Presiding parish judge, Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley, imposed the fine on Rajae Gardner subsequent to his admission of guilt to disorderly conduct.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, it was revealed that Gardner was driving a black Toyota Voxy in the vicinity of Long Hill about 4:00 pm on March 15, when he was stopped by police authorities, who asked him to provide his vehicle documents.
Gardner furnished a driver’s identification receipt, but when the police asked for additional identification, he displayed boisterous behaviour that drew a crowd of bystanders. He was subsequently arrested and charged.
Gardner’s lawyer, Henry McCurdy, claimed that his client was driving his pregnant girlfriend to a medical appointment when he was stopped by the authorities and that Gardner’s reaction was triggered by the officers’ conduct.
“He was taking his girlfriend to the doctor because she is pregnant, and the police said to him, ‘Bwoy, where you get di vehicle from?’ Sometimes you have to control yourself even when disrespected by the police, and I have spoken to him about it and he is very sorry,” said McCurdy.
Following the attorney’s explanation, Judge Smith-Ashley ordered Gardner to pay a $2,000 fine before allowing him to leave the courtroom
