Businessman on $15,000 bail

Lawrence, owner of an auto rental business, was charged by PC Poolchan and Antoine of the Task Force with assaulting PC Antoine, behaving disorderly and resisting arrest. Lawrence, a father of three, stood before Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine in the First Court and initially entered guilty pleas to all three charges.

Court prosecutor Cleydon Seedan said that on Tuesday at about 4.40 pm, Task Force saw a man riding a motorcycle along Charles Street in La Romaine, without any registration plates.

Police pursued the motorcyclist who came to a halt at Lilian Street. The court heard that a group of about 20 passers-by gathered.

The charges, Seedan said, arose when Lawrence who was among a crowd of 20 people watching the officers question the cyclist, shouted at the officers. Officers warned persons in the crowd about their conduct. Lawrence was later arrested. When Seedan said that the Task Force claimed Lawrence told them he would throw hand grenades into the Task Force office, the accused through his attorney Natalie Sanchez- Andrews objected.

Lawrence denied ever threatening anyone and, as Sanchez- Andrews said, he (the accused) sustained injuries while being arrested.

On hearing the attorney’s objection, Magistrate Antoine changed Lawrence’s plea to ‘notguilty’ on all the charges, set bail at $15,000 and adjourned the case to June 14.