ST JAMES, Jamaica — The trial for a Kingston resident who was allegedly found in unlawful possession of a card machine, failed to get underway in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.

The man has been identified as Demitri Ffrench. According to the prosecution, on June 28, security personnel at a hotel in Rose Hall, St James reportedly spotted Ffrench on the property and called the police after discovering he was not a guest there.

A black knapsack Ffrench had in his possession was reportedly found to contain a card machine he couldn’t properly account for. He was subsequently charged with unlawful possession of property and criminal trespassing.

The prosecution said that despite the fact that the court had previously been told that no further statements were required, they are awaiting two statements. Additionally, Ffrench has not yet settled his legal representation. He told the court that his lawyer was attorney-at-law Chumu Paris, but the record does not show that Paris officially appeared for the accused man.

Ffrench was then asked if he wanted the court to assign him a lawyer, but he refused stating that he would hire his own.

A new hearing date was then set for August 23, and Ffrench was remanded in police custody. No one had come forward to bail him. On July 14 his bail was set at $200,000.