Comedienne and talk show host Rachel Price has been ordered to serve 180 hours of community service for assaulting a teacher at her daughter's school and using obscene language during the incident on November 16, last year at the school's compound.But as she left the Port-of-Spain Magistrates' Court yesterday after she was found guilty by Senior Magistrate Lucina Cardenas-Ragoonanan, she promised it was not over. She was before the court charged with assaulting Michelle Campbell, a teacher at Bishop Anstey High School, Port-of-Spain, and using obscene language.
Price, who was also accused of assault by beating, was reprimanded and discharged on that charge but was ordered by the magistrate to publicly apologise to Campbell and the school for the incident. At first she was visibly reluctant but had to be cautioned by Cardenas-Ragoonanan and her attorney Om Lalla before she eventually apologised in open court for her actions on the day of the incident. When asked by reporters about her feelings towards the guilty verdict, Price said she felt exhausted, like on the day the incident occurred.
In passing sentence, Cardenas-Ragoonanan described the case as a special one because the incident took place at a school. Cardenas-Ragoonanan said: "It seems to me that the defendant (Price) does not see that using obscene language as something wrong, as she admitted in her evidence that she uses it while performing and at home." The magistrate said she understood how Price might have felt when Campbell referred to her (Price) as an unfit mother. The magistrate noted, however, that Campbell had apologised for that comment while testifying in the matter.
Cardenas-Ragoonanan also highlighted discrepancies in Price's testimony, stating she was of the view that Price may have been improvising while giving evidence. Price's legal team also included attorneys Pennelope Beckles-Robinson and Derrick Balliram, while Sgt Azard Ali prosecuted.
