Women keep paying men’s fines in court

Chief Magistrate at the Serious Offences Court, Simone Churaman, has found it rather amusing that every time a young man is charged, a woman has to come to pay the fine or bail.

Last Thursday at the Serious Offences Court, 21 year-old labourer, Lionel Baptiste of Villa was fined $1000 for having in his possession 359 grams of cannabis. He told Magistrate Churaman that his mother would send money from abroad to help him pay the fine.{{more}}

Rapid Response Unit (RRU) personnel were on mobile patrol in Kingstown at about midday when they met the defendant sitting on a step at P.H Veira supermarket smoking what appeared to be cannabis. When Officers approached the defendant he dropped a black plastic bag on the ground. On examination, the bag was found to contain taped packages of cannabis.

At first, Baptiste denied ownership of the bag but when cautioned by the police he admitted the drugs belonged to him.

He told the court that he did not work and that his mother provides for him. “I been going check for a work but basically I been trying to sell the drugs to make some fast money,” said Baptiste.

His aunt however paid $400 for him and the remainder is to be paid by March 31.