An 18-year old student of Munroe Road, Cunupia was remanded on a $2,000 bond to keep the peace for six months after pleading guilty to driving without a valid permit, driving without insurance and ignoring a traffic signal, namely a No Entry sign. Brian Berot was contrite when he appeared before Magistrate Marcia Murray in the Port-of-Spain Sixth Court on Monday, and admitted he only had a learner's permit.
The court heard from prosecutor, Edmund Edwards that around 2.20 am on July 21 at El Socorro Road, San Juan, Berot was asked to produce his driving documents during a road exercise. Berot's attorney yesterday explained that Berot had been forced to drive the car after he was abandoned at a graduation celebration by the driver who his father had hired for the night. Murray told Berot she was giving him an opportunity during the next six months to ensure no similar incidents occurred, before ordering him to obtain at least six months of tuition driving before he was granted his driver's permit.
In a separate matter before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Court, a Santa Cruz man was fined a total of $700 after he pleaded guilty to using insulting language and resisting arrest. Akeem James was arrested at the Tribe carnival band launch around 4.13 am on July 22, at the Queen's Park Savannah, after officers had cause to caution him about beating on the bar and demanding drinks shortly after the bar was closed.
Apologising for his behaviour yesterday, James said he was "a little intoxicated" at the time of the incident. James was given one week to pay the fine or in default, he will serve 21 days' hard labour for each offence. A Tabaquite man, who attended a boat cruise at Pier 2, Chaguaramas on July 21 and was later charged for assaulting three police officers and resisting arrest, was ordered to pay $2,200 in fines.
Akhiym Alfred, 22 admitted his guilt and apologised when he stood before Ayers-Caesar. Alfred's attorney, Pennelope Beckles, said her client had attended the cruise and during a fight in the car park after the party, he allegedly punched the officers during the fracas because he "genuinely did not know they were police officers."
Copies of three medical reports listing soft tissue damage and human bites to the three officers, were submitted into evidence yesterday. In addition to the fines, Alfred was also ordered to pay $300 compensation to each officer.