WESTERN BUREAU: Twenty-eight year-old Garfield McKenis, mechanic of a Norwood address in St James, was fined $75,000 or two years imprisonment at hard labour, when he appeared in the Trelawny Circuit court on Thursday to answer to a charge of manslaughter.

In addition McKenis’ drivers licence was suspended for 12 months.

Allegations are that about 12:45 am on December 13, 1999, McKenis was driving a Toyota motorcar towards Falmouth when on reaching the Spring Hill main road, he reportedly swerved to avoid hitting an on coming vehicle. During the process, his motorcar got out of control and crashed into a disabled vehicle owned by Christopher Briscoe. Another motorist, Junior Russell who was on his way home and had stopped to assist Briscoe in effecting repairs to the disabled vehicle, was also hit.

Russell, a businessman of Falmouth, was rushed to the Falmouth General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

McKenis was later arrested and charged by the Trelawny police with manslaughter.

At the trial on Wednesday, the jury found McKenis not guilty of manslaughter. He was, however, found guilty of dangerous driving which the jury said resulted in Russell’s death.

Meanwhile, 43 year-old Fitzroy Dixon alias ‘Druggist’ of Bounty Hall, Trelawny was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment at hard labour when he appeared in the Falmouth Night Court on Wednesday to answer to a charge of praedial larceny.

Allegations are that about 5:50 pm on August 12, Dixon was seen by Ranger employed to the Advanced Farms in Wales reaping papayas. When he was accosted, he reportedly ran leaving behind five empty rice bags containing papayas weighing 550 pounds.

A report was made to the Falmouth police and Dixon was later arrested and charged.

When Dixon appeared in Court on Wednesday, he was found guilty of the praedial larceny and subsequently sentenced.