Cop-hitting taxi operator fined
SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine – Gary Brown, the operator of a robot taxi who hit down two motorcycle cops in February, had his driver’s licence confiscated after he was found guilty of dangerous driving and disobeying a police signal when he appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Brown, 46, was convicted by senior St Catherine Resident Magistrate Lorna Errar-Gayle after he pleaded guilty to the charges. He was fined $25,000 or 12 months’ imprisonment for dangerous driving and had 14 points taken from his driver’s licence. His licence, in the meantime, was suspended for 12 months while he was ordered to pay $300 or spend 10 days behind bars for disobeying the police signal.
The judge advised the injured cop, Special Corporal Gamora Smith who sustained a broken leg in the incident, to take legal action against the accused.
Smith told the court that on Monday, February, 19 at about 3:30 pm, he and Special Constable Jason Thompson of the Spanish Town motor cycle patrol section were on motor cycle patrol along Brunswick Avenue, Spanish Town, St Catherine when they saw Brown driving a robot taxi – a Toyota station wagon licensed 5193AE which plies the Spanish Town to Ocho Rios route. They signalled him to stop but he disobeyed. They rode him down and caught up with him a mile away at Wynters Pen.
Smith said Brown reversed the car, which hit him on the motor cycle. He sustained a broken left leg while Thompson was wounded on his left knee.
A warrant of arrest was prepared for Brown who was arrested in the Ocho Rios market, St Ann
last Saturday.