US soldier must pay cop for broken watch

AN AMERICAN soldier was yesterday ordered to pay a policeman $175 in compensation for destroying the officer’s watch while he (the officer) was attempting to arrest the soldier during Point Fortin Borough Day celebrations on Sunday. Warren Benn was subsequently reprimanded and discharged by Point Fortin Second Court Magistrate Rae Roopchand, after pleading guilty to malicious damage, resisting arrest and using obscene language.

Prosecutor Insp Bharrat told the court that on Sunday, PC Alvin Richardson had cause to caution Benn, 24, about his language and general behaviour. However, the soldier allegedly continued to use obscene language. While PC Richardson was attempting to arrest him, Benn pull away and knocked Richardson’s watch off his hand. The watch fell in the middle of a large crowd and was not recovered. In passing sentence, the magistrate advised the US soldier to return to America and let people see him as the example he was supposed to be and not what he had displayed here.