Collis Whyte, the Route 48 minibus driver who was seen in a viral video chasing a traffic rank with a cutlass, will be spending the next 12 months behind bars after admitting to multiple charges, including resisting arrest and threatening behaviour.
Whyte, 25, was arraigned on Friday before two city magistrates and he was sentenced, fined and also remanded after facing multiple charges.
He was first arraigned before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in Court Two, where he was slapped with five charges. He admitted that on April 20 at Georgetown, he resisted arrest, used threatening behaviour and indecent language toward a peace officer, and had a dangerous weapon. He denied the fifth related charge of behaving disorderly in a public place.
He was sentenced to six months imprisonment for the resisting arrest charge and six months imprisonment for threatening behaviour. He was also sentenced to 12 months behind bars for having an offensive weapon. The sentences will run concurrently, so Whyte will only spend 12 months in jail. Additionally, Whyte was fined $10,000 for the use of indecent language. He was remanded until May 17 on the disorderly behaviour charge.
He was also hauled before Magistrate Clive Nurse in Court Seven, where he was charged with four counts of dangerous driving as well as improper conduct of driver, failure to wear a seatbelt, breach of prescribed fitness, failing to give right of way, and failure to wear a face mask. He admitted to failing to wear a seatbelt and was fined $7,500. He pleaded not guilty to the dangerous driving charges and was placed on $200,000 bail. He also pleaded not guilty to improper conduct of driver, breach of prescribed fitness, failing to give the right of way, and failing to wear a face mask, and he was placed on $10,000 bail for each.
He was advised to return to court on May 28.
According to the police, the rank in question, Constable Connelly, was on a motorcycle patrol proceeding west on Homestretch Avenue when he observed minibus BZZ 3029 overtaking a line of approximately 15 vehicles. The police said the bus was proceeding east along the same road.
As a result, the driver, who was later discovered to be Whyte, was stopped and told of the offence – considered to be dangerous driving – and was asked to produce his driver’s licence. However, according to police, Whyte failed to comply and drove away.
The traffic cop gave chase and was able to catch up with the driver on Sheriff Street, where he stopped the driver for a second time. A video of their confrontation circulated on Facebook shows that after the bus was pulled over, a third party, a female, who appeared to be the conductor, tried to prevent the situation from escalating. She can be seen standing between the rank and the driver, who remained in the bus.
However, as the traffic rank pressed for the driver to exit the vehicle, the man stepped out, seemingly in a rage armed himself with a weapon, which appeared to be a cutlass, and then pursued Constable Connelly.
The constable then fled in a bid to prevent himself from being hurt, police said. After the chase, the driver got back into the minibus and drove to his Sophia residence, where he was later arrested by a patrol and taken to the Brickdam Police Station.
