Graham pleads guilty to three charges, fined $600

Radio personality Colin Graham was, on Wednesday, fined $600, after pleading guilty to three of the five charges initially brought against him in March this year.{{more}}

Graham was charged with causing obstruction to the free flow of traffic; failure to renew his driving permit that expired on March 10, 2016; failure to comply with the lawful direction given by a police in uniform when charged with the regulation of traffic; and causing inconvenience to the public in exercise of their common rights.

When he appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court he pleaded guilty to the obstruction charge, failure to renew his driving permit and failure to comply with the lawful direction given by a police in uniform.

The prosecution withdrew the remaining two charges of allowing his vehicle to cause unnecessary obstruction to the free flow of traffic; and causing inconvenience to the public in exercise of their common rights.

Police say that on Friday, March 11, 2016, around 8:30 a.m., officers were on duty regulating the flow of traffic at Arnos Vale, when they saw PS915, a white Toyota Corolla, with its hazard lights on, slow down in the area of Highway Trading bus stop.

They further stated that protesters at the bus stop began gathering around the vehicle and for 10 minutes officers observed that traffic was moving at a snail’s pace.

Police constable Woods, along with another officer, caught up with the vehicle at the Hope For Life Church, where traffic could not pass to go into Kingstown.

Woods then requested that Graham remove his vehicle and said that he took his time in doing so.

Graham was arrested and charged and during investigations it was revealed that his licence had expired the day before.

During mitigation, Graham’s counsel Zita Barnwell pointed out that his birthday was the day before, adding that her client had been held for 10 hours, which delayed the payment of the licence that could not have been paid on the weekend.

Barnwell noted that the prosecution did not state a time in which Graham pulled aside “in his own time.” However, she said that he took two or three minutes to do so because of traffic.

Graham’s counsel further noted that her client had no previous convictions and had cooperated with police throughout the entire proceedings.

Because of the circumstances surrounding the facts, she asked that Graham be reprimanded and discharged for the licence charge and for the remaining charges, she requested a fine, the total of which would not surpass $500.

She argued that Graham had been penalized and basically served time at the Central Police Station when kept there for 10 hours following his arrest.

In light of this, magistrate Bertie Pompey granted her request on the licence charge, stating “It is not so serious.”

He, however, fined Graham $350 for obstruction and $250 for failing to remove his vehicle when instructed to do so.

Failure to pay both fines would result in him being imprisoned for two months. (AS)