‘Bored’ teens in court

The magistrate issued a summons to the teens’ father to appear in court and explain why his sons were not in school at the time they were arrested.

The teens, aged 16 and 17, told the magistrate that they have no electricity at home so they can’t read their schoolbooks at night and they are generally bored with life. The two were arrested on Tuesday but appeared in court yesterday.

The charges read against them were that they used insulting language to Constable Sam.

The 16-year-old was slapped with an additional charge of resisting arrest.

Court prosecutor Sgt Ian Sylvan said that at 11.30 am on Tuesday, officers on patrol along Pluck Road in La Fortune, Woodland spotted the brothers walking a road in a lonely area.

The officers became suspicious and confronted the minors.

As PC Sam search the 16-yearold, he (the teen) shouted: “You eh get nothing...yuh dotish police! That is how allyuh does lose allyuh wuk; allyuh does interfere with the wrong people. Lock me up nah! I eh fraid no magistrate!” As PC Sam was arresting the teen, his brother shouted: “Allyuh lock up meh brother, I will take lock up too. Allyuh is young police and is not allyuh alone have gun.” He continued, the court heard, “Allyuh working Sando, yuh go get what allyuh looking for!” Pleading with Magistrate Diop to exercise leniency, attorney Frank Gittens said the boys live with their father who is estranged from their mother, who is a senior police officer.

The mother sat in court for the hearing yesterday. Magistrate Diop asked the mother to step forward and she (the mother) said that the 16-year-old is a student of Marabella Senior Secondary while her elder son dropped out from San Fernando Senior Secondary School.

The mother said she is a police officer but explained that while she has been granted custody of her sons, she has a Protection Order against the children’s father and is not allowed to visit them where they live in La Romaine.

The mother admitted that in the house, there is no electricity and therefore her boys sleep in darkness, have no television and no appliances.

The officer added that she lives with her father whose house cannot accommodate the two boys.

Magistrate Diop issued a summons for the boys’ father to attend court and told the mother to be present in court as well at the next hearing set for November 7.

The boys were released on $5,000 bail after Diop ordered a Probation Officer’s report.