Two men who were charged with breaching the national curfew yesterday told the court that they were arrested at their homes.
Travis Davis and Jamal Seepaul, were arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus when they were separately read the charge which alleges that on April 19, at Stabroek Market, they breached the curfew by being on the streets after 10 pm.
Both men pleaded guilty with explanation to the charge. Davis told the court that he is a psychiatric patient and that after waking up to use to a washroom which is outside of his Laing Avenue home, he was arrested by the police. He added that he saw his friends ‘liming’ and that he approached them to ask for a cigarette. Davis said that after collecting the cigarette, he was less than 30 feet away from his door when the police arrived and arrested him.
Meanwhile, Seepaul told the Magistrate that he had just arrived home from his duties at the George-town Public Hospital and that he was sitting outside of his home watching a movie on his tablet when the police approached him. He said that he abided with their demands and was not taken to the police station immediately after being arrested. He explained that the police had to pick up more people.
After both men explained their arrest to the court, Principal Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus noted that neither man was arrested at Stabroek Market as the charges state. She further mentioned that she observed that Seepaul claims to be an essential worker, while Davis provided his clinic card to the court. She then said that the men shouldn’t have been outside of their homes during the curfew.
Seepaul was placed on $10,000 bail, while Davis was bonded for 6 months. Seepaul is expected to return to the court on June 2.
