Man charged with disrespecting the Chief Magistrate in speech to to learn his fate

The man on trial for allegedly using disrespect in speech to the Chief Magistrate will know whether he is deemed guilty or innocent on December 18.

The most recent charge for Dennis Richardson of Glenn as it relates to Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias, is that he did use disrespect in speech, in reference to her, on January 29 of this year. He is alleged to have said that he was going to spit in her f**king face, and pelt a chair at her.

The last witnesses for the trial took the stand last week Tuesday, and they were both witnesses for the defence.

However, the prosecution’s case ended the previous week, during which the chief magistrate herself gave evidence. She had stated that while court was going on, the defendant and the prosecution were not on the same wave length about something, and they both exchanged some dialogue. She said that the defendant became agitated, and the prosecution asked that he be removed from the dock. She added that the defendant was loud and aggressive in his speech, and that he was twisting away from the police officers as he was carried out of court. The chief magistrate said she got a little worried later that morning when she heard of the threats. She answered under cross examination that ‘certainly’ the issue that started the commotion on that day was one of bail.

Two other police officers took the stand and stated that they heard Richardson say these words about the chief magistrate, and that he was being loud. However, one other officer did not mention that the defendant’s behaviour was disruptive outside of the court, and said that he did not hear the words in the charge, but noted that when the defendant was placed in the holding cell, he had left immediately.

Richardson had said that in court he had kept asking the magistrate to recuse herself, as he had been “charged for her.” He said that after he asked her to recuse herself the prosecutor got up and said he was ready to proceed, and asked for an adjournment. He said he kept saying “I want my justice, I don’t see justice here.” He said he was taken out of the court at the request of the magistrate. Outside of the court, he admitted that he was speaking to ‘his people’ about that matter while in the holding cell downstairs, but denied saying anything about wanting to spit in the magistrate’s face, or pelt a chair at her. Richardson said he wasn’t making noise.

Persons who identified as mother and girlfriend to Richardson gave evidence to the court last week, as they were present outside of the holding cell on that day. Richardson’s mother put forward that the only words that she heard her son say were that the magistrate did not want to recuse herself, and that a police officer had pushed him, and that they (the police) weren’t supposed to do that. When asked by the prosecutor if she heard Richardson say the words in the charge, she responded that “even a mad person” would never say that. The defendant’s girlfriend gave similar evidence as the mother, also adding that Richardson had said if this was Trinidad or Jamaica such occurrences could not happen. She said she did not hear the defendant say the words in the charge.

The defendant also has another charge for disrespect in speech, wherein he is alleged to have, on March 27, 2017, said that he wanted to catch her (the chief magistrate) and rest a hand grenade in “she mouth.” He is alleged to have called her a “mother c**t.”

Decisions for both charges will be given on December 18.