Man to pay $5 000 for police high-speed chase in The City

A 32-year-old unemployed man who led police on a high-speed car chase on the outskirts of Bridgetown in the wee hours of Thursday morning has been hit with more than $5 000 in fines.

Lemar Alexander Burnett, of Brewster’s Gap, St Michael, pleaded guilty to committing seven traffic offences on October 26, 2023, when he appeared before Magistrate Alison Burke in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court on Friday.

These include dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention, driving without reasonable consideration, and failing to stop at the sound of the siren, comply with a ‘Stop’ sign, use appropriate hand signals and comply with a ‘No Entry’ sign.

According to the police report, just after midnight, officers on duty were forced to slam brakes while entering the Ena Walters Roundabout as a dark-coloured Toyota Axio “flew” from Lower Collymore Rock, St Michael through the roundabout at a rapid speed. Making a left turn onto Wellington Street, the vehicle slowed down, but when the officers turned on the siren and beacon, it sped up again and the driver refused to stop.

Police pursued the vehicle through Nelson Street, Chancery Lane, Spruce Street, Beckwith Street, Bay Street, Jemmotts Lane, Henry Lane and finally Dunlow Lane where the chase ended. The driver and two occupants escaped.

However, Burnett presented himself to the police later that morning and admitted to being the driver.

Asked by the magistrate why he had not stopped initially when the siren and lights were activated, Burnett said, “I was scared about the situation, but I did not mean anything by it.”

“Why did you speed off like that, going through stop signs and no entry signs? Suppose an old granny was trying to cross the road? You could have been in here with a bigger charge – causing death by dangerous driving,” Burke chastised.

Burnett was fined $1 000 forthwith for failing to stop at the sound of a siren, with the alternative of 100 days in jail.

He also has to pay $2 000 for dangerous driving, $1 000 for driving without due care and attention, $500 for failing to comply with a ‘Stop’ sign, and $800 for failing to use appropriate hand signals.

The charge of driving without reasonable consideration was withdrawn, and he was convicted, reprimanded and discharged for driving through a ‘No Entry’ sign.

The fines must be paid by October 26, 2024, or Burnett will spend one year in prison.