Man fined $17,000, banned from driving

Diop, who presided over the Traffic Court, fined Anthony Ackee $17,000, in total, and disqualified him from driving for the next three years with immediate effect.

The charges against Ackee, of La Romaine, is that he drove a car without lights, breached a traffic sign, and failed a breathalyser test.

Ackee reappeared on the charges before Diop and pleaded guilty to all eight offences.

Court prosecutor Sgt Raymond Dookhoo recalled that at about 11.44 pm, on February 22, Constable Sujeet Ramcharan was on mobile patrol along Cipero Street, San Fernando, where he observed a motorist driving a green car without any lighted headlamps. The officer attempted to stop the car by means of a front stop signal and his flash-light. But the driver, Ackee, failed to stop and instead sped off, causing the officer to scamper out of the road. The court heard the officer gave chase in a marked police vehicle when on reaching the intersection of Cipero and Rushworth Streets, where there is a ‘No Right Turn’ sign, he saw the motorist make an illegal turn. The chase continued along Todd and Farah Streets before police intercepted the car. When the police asked Ackee for his driver’s permit, he said he did not have one. Police had to physically remove Ackee from the vehicle. He also failed three breathalyser tests and Ramcharan subsequently charged him with the offences.

The magistrate, having heard the prosecution’s case, remarked it was fortunate no one died or was seriously injured during the incident.

Diop reprimanded and discharged Ackee for failing to provide a driver’s permit to police.

On the charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, the magistrate fined him $10,000 to be paid within a month or in default serve three years in prison. She also disqualified him from driving for three years. The magistrate fined him $4,000 for driving in a dangerous manner or in default serve four months in prison. She fined him $500 each for failing to comply with police, breaching a traffic sign, driving without two lighted headlamps and driving without a driver’s permit. Attorney Maurissa Bubb represented Ackee.