Seven days for absconding court order

Two men learned first-hand the seriousness of failing to comply with court-imposed bail conditions when a Bridgetown magistrate ordered that they spend seven days in jail for absconding.

Paul Kian Kemar Dear, a 34-year-old shopkeeper from Drax Hall Hope, St George and Ogunjare Kamani Hunte, 20, a labourer from Beckwith Street, The City appeared before Magistrate Alison Burke, on Monday, separately charged with having been released on bail on November 9, 2023, they failed to surrender, without reasonable cause, to Central Police Station every Tuesday and Saturday.

The District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court heard from prosecutor Ralph Rollock that the men appeared before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes last year on criminal charges and were granted bail with the condition.

Both men have not complied with the bail condition within the period mentioned and were seen earlier on Monday by the officer with responsibility for such reporting conditions.

When they were questioned separately on why they had not been reporting to the police station twice a week as stipulated, they could not give a satisfactory explanation.

Addressing Magistrate Burke from the dock, Hunte said: “The work had me good. The work had me good; today I was off.”

The magistrate informed him that was no excuse as the police station is open 24 hours a day.

Dear said that “90 per cent” of what was read from the facts in the case were “true” and the rest “untrue”.

But Magistrate Burke chastised him saying: “It cannot be 90/10. It has to be 100 per cent. You have to report on the times ordered.”

“There is nothing else more important than making sure you report when you are before the court,” she added. “You cannot go about your business as if you were absolutely free. By not going you are saying to the court you will not adhere.”

As the magistrate handed down her sentence she made it clear to both men: “You cannot disobey an order of the court.”