Magistrate Elwood Watts ruled that Minister of Health cannot be the informant in relation to any COVID-19 matter. In fact, he said, if the Minister of Health had no authority under the Emergency Management Act, Section 28 A (7), he could not delegate responsibility. The magistrate was deciding on arguments in the District “C” Magistrates’ Court yesterday surrounding the legality of the minister being listed as the informant on a …
COVID watchdog gets lesson in court
Article by March 11, 2021
A charge against a woman brought before the law courts for breaching the COVID-19 protocols was amended on Wednesday, prompting the prominent criminal attorney who is defending her to urge the Government’s watchdog to be “more careful” when drafting information and charges against alleged offenders.
“This pandemic is a serious thing, but we must get it right before we seek to bring people before the courts in relation to breaches of the directives,” Queen’s Counsel Michael Lashley suggested to the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit.
The comment came as a charge against his client, Davia Graham, was amended by the District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court, following an application by the Crown prosecution team of Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney and Senior Crown Counsel Neville Watson in association with police prosecutors Inspector Janice Ifill and Station Sergeant Crishna Graham.
Traffic offender and curfew breaker settles $1 300 in fines
Article by March 4, 2021
In his haste to avoid a breach of curfew charge a 45-year-old mechanic racked up a number of traffic offences and the very charge he was seeking to escape.
When Wayne Mervin Stuart, of Waterhall Land, Eagle Hall, St Michael saw police in his community around 7:15 p.m. on Monday, he sped off. The siren and beacon were turned on but he did not stop.
Lawmen followed him onto Waterhall Land and observed him swerving in the roadway in a reckless manner. He then drove on to Pasture Road without stopping at a major stop then onto Kew Road where he failed to observe a second stop sign. He crashed into the side of road damaging his motor car MA394 and finally came to a stop.
Grant goes back to jail
Article by March 4, 2021
On the very day Wayde Mclloyd Grant was released from prison he found himself again in trouble with the law after smoking crack cocaine – his drug of choice.
The 48-year-old from Taylor’s Gap, Rock Hall, St George never ventured to his residence on February 27 when he was released from the Dodds, St Philip facility, in the morning, after serving three months there.
Instead of going home, he told Magistrate Elwood Watts “I just come from getting something to smoke.”
Grant had, moments before, pleaded guilty to loitering at the Fairchild Street Bus Terminal last Saturday. He was unable to give a satisfactory account of himself.
March 3, 2021
Vendor Shayne Douglas Marshall has been charged with illegally dumping coconut shells at one of this island’s quarries.
When the 57-year-old, of Rock Hall, St Philip appeared before Magistrate Elwood Watts he pleaded not guilty to breaching
Regulation 5 clause (i) of the Health Services (Nuisances) Regulation 1969 Chapter 44. It is alleged that Marshall deposited coconut shells in the area of Oldbury Quarry in such a state as to be dangerous to health.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge before the District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court telling the magistrate “I was put in a situation”.
The matter was adjourned until May 5 and he is on $500 bail in the meantime.