Judicial officer imposes fine, disqualifies man from obtaining driver’s licence, puts forward solution

This island’s Chief Magistrate believes that drivers who willingly engage in reckless behaviour while using the country’s roads, should be made to foot their own medical bills if they end up being hospitalized.

He was speaking today as he dealt with a case of a 22-year-old man who appeared before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on several traffic charges including driving without a licence, having no insurance, failing to stop at the sound of a siren and driving without due care and attention.

“This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated with no insurance and licence. Reckless behaviour and there got nuff more like he who . . . driving round without licence that we [the taxpayers] will have to pay the cost.

“All these motorcycle people who pulling and doing the wheelies when they end up wrap around a pole and in hospital . . . we pay that bill.

“I have a solution though of what we ought to do with them. Just before they are released from hospital we should present them with a summons to appear in court and the bill from the hospital in the civil court. We should have them pay [the] costs . . . that’s what we should do,” Weekes said, adding that the Act dealing with such matters would have to be amended and expanded.

“ . . . And for them to appear at St Matthias [court] to indicate how they gone pay back that State. If they don’t turn up . . . warrant of arrest. So I have a solution for that,” he added.

Weekes was addressing the case of Jeffrey Aaron Holder, of Cave Hill, St Michael.

The unemployed man had pleaded guilty to committing the traffic offences around 10:30 p.m. on September 3 while driving S1165 along Black Rock Main Road.

According to the facts, officers saw the accused driving the vehicle along Derriston, Black Rock, St Michael and tried to stop him but he sped off, overtaking several vehicles and causing officers to pursue him. They turned on the siren signaling for him to stop, but he did not, speeding off again, and eventually going the route of Highway 1 driving in the path of several vehicles. The vehicle was later found abandoned.

In his mitigation attorney-at-law Shamar Bovell urged the court to allow his client the opportunity to rehabilitate himself. He asked the Chief Magistrate to impose a fine that would meet the justice of the case as according to him, his client had among other things turned himself in to police and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

In handing down his sentence Weekes stated: “Does he know how much damage he could have done?  [He] doesn’t have any regard for anyone else but himself.”

The judicial officer also queried the circumstances that would have led Holder to venture on to the road when he did not have a licence or insurance.

“His behavior is out and out reckless. You are a reckless man,” he added before he ordered Holder to pay $750 for no insurance and $750 for having no licence. The fines must be paid in four months or Holder will spend 90 days in prison.

For driving without due care and attention Holder was suspended from acquiring a driver’s licence of any class for the next 12 months.

He was convicted, reprimanded and discharged on the other traffic offences.