Judge shows leniency to woman who pleaded guilty
KINGSTON, Jamaica— A woman was shown leniency on Tuesday after she pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and being armed with an offensive weapon.
After the guilty plea, she told the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court that she had an explanation for the charges.
The investigating officer on the case told the court that the accused, Racquel Ellis, was involved in a verbal and physical altercation with other women in front of the police station on Beckford Street in Kingston. The officer stated that he along with two of his colleagues apprehended the women, and he took a brown handle ratchet knife from Ellis. He stated that she was also charged with disorderly conduct because the women were impeding traffic on the roadway and “all sorts of slurs” were being hurled back and forth. The officer told the court that the other women were charged with similar offences as Ellis.
When Chief Parish Judge Chester Crooks asked Ellis for her explanation, she told him that she was not involved with the altercation but was instead trying to quell the fight.
“Your honour me a walk with one girl and it end up she and the other two girl a cuss so me say ‘done because you in front of the station’. Me did have a ratchet knife but me see the police officer and me run go put it underneath one cardboard across the road. So it end up the other officer say him see it on camera when me a put it underneath the cardboard and go for it,” Ellis said.
When asked about her conduct during the altercation Ellis reiterated “me did a tell them finish, me never did a do anything”.
Judge Crooks then told the accused woman that he accepts her guilty plea as her explanation reflects her guilt. However he was lenient in his judgment as he only allowed Ellis to pay a fine for the offensive weapon charge but admonished and discharged her for the lesser offence.
“I accept the guilty pleas but for the disorderly conduct I am going to admonish and discharge you so don’t make it happen again you hear? But for the armed with an offensive weapon offence it is a fine of $2,000 or 15 days in jail. You have the money can pay?” Judge Crooks asked, to which Ellis responded in the affirmative.
She paid the fine and was discharged.
