Collis Whyte, the minibus driver who was jailed for chasing a policeman with a cutlass, was on Monday fined $185,000 by a city magistrate after being found guilty of several traffic offences and breaching the COVID restrictions.
Whyte, of Lot 743 ‘D’ Field, Sophia, was found guilty by Magistrate Clive Nurse of two counts of dangerous driving, failing to give right of way, improper conduct of driver, and breach of condition of prescribed fitness. He was also found guilty of a breach of COVID-19 restrictions. He was fined a total of $185,000.
Following his confrontation with a traffic rank, Whyte was faced with five charges in April. 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 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 are running concurrently, so Whyte will only spend 12 months in jail.
Additionally, Whyte was fined $10,000 for the use of indecent language. He was also hauled before Magistrate Nurse in Court Seven, where he admitted to failing to wear a seatbelt and was fined $7,500.
According to the police, the rank in question, Constable Connelly, was on a motorcycle patrol proceeding along Homestretch Avenue when he observed minibus BZZ 3029 overtaking a line of approximately 15 vehicles.
As a result, the driver, Whyte, was stopped and told of the offence – considered to be dangerous driving – and was asked to produce his driver’s licence. But, according to police, Whyte failed to comply and drove away. The rank gave chase and was able to catch up with him 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, armed himself with a weapon, which appeared to be a cutlass, and then pursued Constable Connelly. The constable 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.
