Woman wins traffic case in which COP was the main prosecution witness

A woman who did not follow instructions issued by the Commissioner of Police, Colin John to move her vehicle and was subsequently charged with causing an obstruction, has been found not guilty on two counts. 

A trial examining whether Zuleika Lewis committed the two traffic offences took place on February 23 at the Serious Offences Court and the court was deliberating on a decision. 

Lewis’ lawyer, Mikhail Charles, fought for her against charges that she, on July 24, 2021, being the driver of PD167, did fail to remove the said vehicle when requested to do so by a police officer, when it was placed in such a position so as to cause obstruction to the free flow of traffic.

Further that she, did wilfully allow the said vehicle to stand on such a road so as to cause unnecessary obstruction to the free flow of traffic.

According to Lewis, on the date in question she was driving along the public road, travelling from Carriere. She was driving a low sports car and in her estimation the road is bad. 

She left her gap and was driving when she saw a truck speeding to her, causing her to stop. The truck approached and was basically at her side. She said that from this action she could tell that the truck driver was not familiar with the road and told him that he has to be careful as he could have gone over the embankment. 

The truck driver began to make statements about women not being able to drive. Lewis told the court that she told him that if he reversed she could swing around and be able to pass. This suggestion was apparently greeted with “a slew of words”. 

A vehicle pulled up behind her during the disagreement, and a man approached, placing his hand on top of her car, Lewis recalled. 

The man, who she couldn’t see as he was blocked by the top of the car, told her to move the vehicle, but Lewis said she could not “because the vehicle is very low and the edge that I am on is very high and so it would be impossible for me to move it.”

“This is a road that I’ve driven every day. The precedent of this road is that whoever comes up on the right hand side goes into the dip that’s the corner,” allowing the person on the top to pass, she said. 

Lewis had said that the person asked “You know who I be?” and this caused her to lean forward to see better. She chuckled and told him “yes I know who you are”.

“Well I’m the Commissioner of police I’m telling you to move your vehicle,” she said that he said. 

The officer apparently took her ID back to his vehicle, during which time she said that the truck reversed. 

Lewis said she couldn’t move until she got back her ID although the traffic was cleared. 

During questioning by the prosecution, Sergeant 444 Kenny Jones, Lewis posited that her car would have been damaged if she had moved it forward.

On the other hand, the Commissioner’s position was that, after driving up to the situation, he observed that any competent driver driving PD167 could have proceeded without causing an accident. The COP said that his request for her to move was polite and that she responded rudely. He said despite further direction she still did not move. Dressed in plain clothes, he showed her his police ID and again asked her to move and he said she again refused. 

He took her information and told her she would hear from him and he submitted that her reply was “I don’t want to hear from you.”