Campden Park man ordered to pay journalist $500

A Campden Park man, charged with striking a journalist in the face with a plastic bag, has been ordered to pay him compensation of $500.

Danroy Small was charged at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court that he did assault Kenton Chance of Rillan Hill on December 18, of last year, causing him actual bodily harm.

Bail for Small was previously revoked by magistrate Bertie Pompey, after the defendant’s derogatory name calling of the complainant in court when the charge was placed against him, on December 20, 2017. Subsequently, Small had been held in custody until this Monday, when he had been slotted for trial.

The Court heard witness statements from two officers who were present on the date of the offence, and who told much the same story. They said that they were in the process of loading the prisoners onto police transport when the prisoners began to protest at having their picture taken, and asking that the journalists put their cameras away. They said that Small then threw the bag directly at Chance’s face.

However, Small, who had smiled while he questioned the witnesses after their testimonies, acting as his own defence, denied ever throwing the bag at the journalist. He said there was an altercation between some of the prisoners and the journalists and that they were asking the police for the transport to go quickly because the sun was hot. He then said they drove off to prison.

“Mr Small, I’m putting it to you that you were remanded in custody, you were vex; you didn’t want to go to prison…I’m putting it to you as well that because the sun was so hot and the police waste time to you, you were even more pissed off… journalists taking picture of you. You were annoyed at them and so you pelt that bag and hit Kenton Chance in his face,” the prosecutor said to the defendant. Small denied every part of the statement, saying, “That is not true, Your Worship.”

Senior magistrate Rickie Burnett, saying that he did not believe the defendant’s version of the events, held that Small had assaulted Chance. It was revealed that at the age of 37, the defendant already had 24 previous convictions.

“Look at your record…starting with the year 1997, as recent as 2014… assault, wounding, marijuana,” he told the defendant, also saying, “if you don’t want your picture taken, stay out of trouble.

“When the journalists are doing their work leave them alone. You understand,” the senior magistrate told Small, who replied ‘Yes, My Worship’.

Small is required to pay compensation in the amount of $500 to the complainant by the end of March, or spend two months in prison.(KR)