A district constable has been sentenced to six months in prison after he was convicted for soliciting $3,000 from a motorist in order to avoid being ticketed for disobeying a traffic light.

The 49-year-old constable, Irvin Codner, who was assigned to the Allman Town Police Station was sentenced by Resident Magistrate Stephanie Haisley to six months each on charges of soliciting bribe and accepting bribe when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday. However, the sentences will run concurrently.

Prosecutors told the court that Codner collected the bribe in “plain view” of members of the police’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) who were outside their office on Oxford Road in New Kingston on August 13 last year.

The court heard that the motorist broke the stop light and was pulled over by Codner, who was travelling behind in a service vehicle. Codner then collected the money from the motorist and left, the court was told.

Members of the ACB “drove down” the motorist, who admitted during questioning that Codner had asked him for the money in order to avoid issuing the traffic ticket, the court was told.

The service vehicle was subsequently traced to Allman Town Police Station and Codner and a policeman, with whom he was travelling, were questioned. Codner, who was later pointed out by the motorist, was arrested and a file prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution who ruled that he be charged.