Convicted teen says ZR conductor ‘wants my girl’

A 19-year-old vendor claimed that an ongoing feud with a ZR conductor who “wants” his girl was what landed him before the law courts today.

Shaquon Nathaniel Bishop, of School Lane, Halls Road, St Michael wasted no time in pleading guilty to the June 9 charge that he without lawful authority or reasonable excuse damaged ZR 454 belonging to Errol Hunte.

Sergeant Robert Jones revealed that the complainant is the conductor on the public service vehicle which was along the roadway near the pasture of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. While there someone told the complainant the accused was running towards him.

Bishop then threw two stones in the direction of the vehicle breaking the glass. No one was in the vehicle at the time and the matter was reported to the police.

Magistrate Douglas Frederick told the Bishop the fact that the vehicle was unoccupied at the time was a “slight” mitigating factor in his favour. “You know innocent people catching the van and this lawlessness you do. Why would you do something like that?”

Bishop revealed that the situation had been going on for six months.

“Sir in February me and the conductor was in an altercation. We had words [some would] say it is over a girl but is not over no girl. This is my girl. He want my girl. Every time he see me, he throwing remarks at me , that he goan stab me, this and that,” said Bishop who revealed that he works near the pasture selling from a tent.

“The driver get out his van and approach me with a knife so the same time I took up a rock to defend myself. When I throw the rock at him, he move and it hit the van. That’s all that happen. This going on for six months now,” he added.

Bishop also claimed that he had made several reports to the police in relation to the conductor.

“When you saw him you should have called the police and say ‘I see de man, come’,” the magistrate said. He also told Bishop that he would have to compensate the complaint for the damage done which police say was estimated at $2,000 or spend six months in prison. He must also attend the anger management programme at the Probation Department.

Bishop will return to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on August 14 when Hunte is expected to make an appearance.