Pay up litterbug!

A young man has been fined $500 after he was caught throwing litter from the bus in which he was travelling on March 14.

Christopher Jason Gollop, 22, of Clarke’s Road, Savannah, Bush Hall, St Michael paid the forthwith penalty today to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before he was allowed to go home. He had spent the last 28 days on remand at Dodds for reportedly being disrespectful to the court on his first appearance.

In a summary of the facts Sergeant Edwin Pinder revealed that police were on patrol along Magazine Lane, St Michael around 5 p.m.  on that Thursday when they noticed the passenger sitting in the rear of a ZR toss a plastic wrapping out of the vehicle’s window. The public service vehicle (PSV) was stopped. Lawmen approached and asked the man for his name and address but he refused. He was also told of the offence and subsequently charged.

When Gollop first appeared before the court he pleaded not guilty to the offence. Today however, standing again before Magistrate Graveney Bannister he entered a guilty plea. He also told the court the litter was the plastic wrapping off a box juice.

“We need to deter that kind of behaviour, tossing things out of the window of a moving vehicle. I have experienced it myself,” Bannister told Gollop before imposing the fine which had an alternative of 50 days in prison if not honoured. The amount was paid.

“Every time you think of tossing something out the window, think about this. I hope you have learned your lesson,” the magistrate added.