Woman fined for wasting police time in Prescott case

A WOMAN was yesterday taken before a magistrate and fined $600 for telephoning relatives of kidnapped boy, Mark Prescott and informing them that she knew of his whereabouts. Michelle Donovan, of Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, was charged with wasteful employment of the police, when the lawmen discovered that she had no such information. Donovan pleaded guilty before magistrate Rajendra Rambachan in the Fourth Police Court."Police Prosecutor Cpl Wazim Ali, told magistrate Rambachan that Donovan telephoned the Prescotts home at Edinburgh Crescent, Cocoyea Village. She spoke to Wayne Prescott, Mark’s father. Prosecutor Ali informed the magistrate that Donovan told Prescott that she had information about Mark’s whereabouts.

The court heard that Prescott immediately telephoned the San Fernando CID office and informed Cpl Williams about the conversation. The Police Prosecutor said that on Tuesday, Cpl Williams and other police officers, acting on information, saw Donovan at a telephone booth on St James Street, San Fernando, in front of TSTT’s offices. She was attempting to dial a number from a telephone. The policemen approached Donovan and after cautioning her, arrested the woman. She was taken to the CID office where she was charged. Yesterday, Donovan admitted to magistrate Rambachan to wasting the police time. Magistrate Rambachan told Donovan that in light of the recent spate of crime and kidnappings, she should have acted more responsibly. Two weeks have since passed since Mark’s abduction outside his school, San Fernando Boys’ RC, Harris Promenade. The family are yet to receive word from the boy’s abductors since their demand of $150,000 the day he was abducted.