KINGSTON, Jamaica – A man was shown leniency by a parish judge despite being dragged back to court on an executed warrant after he failed to return to pay his fine after he pleaded guilty to breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act.

The incident dates back to June 16, when Jayden Levy was fined $25,000 for violating the Disaster Risk Management Act. At that time, he was also offered bail in the amount of $40,000, with Levy acting as his own surety. However, when the deadline for payment arrived, Levy reportedly could not be found. It took investigators several months to locate him and bring him back to court.

Despite Levy’s failure to pay the fine on time, presiding judge Carlo Mason decided to grant him another chance. Levy’s bail was increased to the amount of $80,000, with the requirement of one to two sureties.

“You see how you fortunate?” the judge told Levy.

After the Crown explained why Levy was before the court, Judge Mason remarked, “What I find interesting is that he is in here wearing a mask.”

When asked if he had paid any money towards his fine, the man said he gave “a lawyer” $5,000. However, he couldn’t say who the lawyer was. He added that “mi know what him look like.”

Judge Mason admonished Levy not to deceive the court, emphasszing that such actions were unhelpful.

“Don’t lie to me! That don’t help me. This look like Mr Chin haberdashery and me trying to find who did help me out to buy my iron board?” the judge asked.

Levy was also ultimately ordered to return to court on November 14 to pay $70,000. This sum includes the original fine and the bail bond.