Pushing a police inspector and resisting a police constable on the job will cost a St Michael man.
Not only did Renaldo Ricardo Jones, of 3rd Avenue Licorish Village have to spend 21 days on remand pending sentence but he now has until April to compensate the officers a total of $3 000 or spend an alternative of 60 days in prison. He was also placed on a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
Jones had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting Inspector Anthony Cadogan and resisting Constable Jonathan Stuart as they executed their duties on December 12 last year.
The 36-year-old roofer also took responsibility for using insulting language towards Police Constable Keimar Gibson on the same day as he executed his duties, by saying: “You is a p***y hole.”
Jones also admitted that he breached Paragraph (17) Subparagraph (1) Clause (a) of the Emergency Management COVID-19 (Curfew) (Number 22) by being along Licorish Village, My Lords Hill, St Michael without wearing a face mask, face shield or face covering over the mouth, nose or chin without reasonable explanation.
The District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court had heard that lawmen were conducting an operation in the mentioned area when they came across persons not wearing masks. When approached, Jones became aggressive, used insulting language, pushed Inspector Cadogan, resisted PC Stuart and behaved violently on his arrest.
In giving his side of the story, Jones said they had just returned from the beach celebrating a birthday and Inspector Cadogan pushed him and “I pushed him off. I was not wearing a mask.”
Before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes on Wednesday, Jones said: “To the court and the officers involved, I am sorry for what happened.”
But Weekes said: “That is not heartfelt at all. These young people have no social skills.”
In mitigating on his behalf, attorney-at-law Latisha Springer said her client had thrown himself at the mercy of the court by pleading guilty on his first appearance.
“He expressed to me that he is deeply sorry for what transpired with the officers,” she said.
Springer acknowledged that Jones had pushed the inspector, used insulting language and did not have a mask, but she said what was in his favour was that no weapon was used and the officer was not seriously injured.
The defence lawyer explained that her client did not have on a mask when the officers arrived at the location because he was having a drink at the time.
She submitted that no further incarceration should be imposed on Jones and urged the court to impose time served for the offences.
But the Chief Magistrate denied that request. Instead, he imposed a compensatory order for the father of three to pay $1 800 to Inspector Cadogan and $1 200 to Constable Stuart.
The monies must be paid by April 29 or Jones will spend 60 days at the Barbados Prison Service at Dodds.
For using the insulting language, he was placed on a bond to keep the peace for three months. If that bond is breached, Jones will have to pay the court $1 000 forthwith or face the alternative of 60 days in prison.
He was convicted, reprimanded and discharged for not wearing a mask.
