MONTEGO BAY, St James — What began as a night of music, dancing, and celebration at the annual Reggae Sumfest quickly descended into chaos in the early hours of July 19, leaving one man facing the wrath of the law after coming into possession of a police officer’s mobile phone.

Davian Crooks, from St James, appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday, charged with larceny by finding.

The court heard that the incident occurred during a stampede around 4:40 am, involving hundreds of attendees at the iconic Montego Bay festival.

In the crowd was a deputy superintendent of police, who found herself swept up in the surge of people. In the confusion, her Samsung Galaxy Note 9 slipped from her possession, disappearing into the melee. Despite efforts by officers at the scene to locate it, the phone was not turned over, and searches of the festival grounds in the aftermath yielded no trace of the device.

Investigators later tracked the phone to Lightbody Avenue in St James, where it was reportedly discovered in Crooks’ pocket. When questioned by the police, he reportedly admitted to finding the device after the stampede, and leaving the venue with it.

Presiding judge Diahann Bernard, in handing down sentence, imposed a fine of $50,000, or 10 days’ imprisonment in default.