A taxi driver, who reportedly got angry after he was ticketed for a traffic violation and assaulted a policeman, has found himself in trouble with the law.

Elvis Abraham is also accused of ripping up the ticket and throwing it on the ground and, as a result, was charged with littering, along with assaulting the constable.

On Wednesday when the matter was mentioned, the court heard that on March 7 in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew, the policeman gave Abraham a traffic ticket, which he took and tore up in front of the cop, and threw it to the ground.

RM Pusey then questioned the policeman about the circumstances which had resulted in Abrahams being charged with assaulting the police.

The constable then told the magistrate that he was cautioning Abraham after he threw the ticket to the ground, when he turned around and grabbed him in his chest.

The policeman said he retaliated by pulling his baton and used it to hit Abraham. Abraham, however, pleaded not guilty to assaulting the policeman, but admitted that he had thrown the ticket on the ground.

“I get upset too, but I don’t jump up and attack the officer,” the RM said. She then asked Abraham’s lawyer what was his defence but he told her that he did not want to disclose same and refused to answer.

The magistrate, on seeing that the lawyer was not budging, asked him what were the facts they could agree on, but the lawyer avoided answering by telling the magistrate that he needed more time to take further instructions from his client.

He was then asked by the magistrate to mitigate on his client’s behalf in respect of the charge to which he had pleaded guilty.

The lawyer then told the magistrate to bear in mind that the charge was his client’s first offence and that he was sorry for throwing the paper on the ground and asked her to be lenient.

The magistrate then ordered Abraham to pay a fine of $2,000 or serve 10 days in jail. She then extended his bail on the charge of assaulting a constable and set a date for trial in the Petty Session Court on May 9.