By Latrishka Thomas
Two young men who attempted to flee from police while they were not wearing face masks earlier this month have been sentenced.
On Monday, 20-year-old Selwyn Samuel pleaded guilty to failure to wear a face mask on a public road and was fined $500, while his 19-year-old friend, Enash Lowe, was fined $3,500 for not wearing a mask, dangerous driving, driving without a licence, driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent, and driving a vehicle without insurance.
On July 6, officers who were on mobile patrol in Clare Hall observed the two men in a vehicle which was being driven in a suspicious manner.
When the police attempted to stop them, Lowe put the car in reverse and sped away dangerously while there were several other vehicles and bystanders on the road.
The officers chased after them, and soon after the car stopped, pulled off the road, and the two occupants exited the vehicle and ran.
Samuel was later caught and he was not wearing a mask. When the officers inquired why he was without a mask he said he left it in the vehicle but a subsequent search failed to produce one.
Lowe, who had escaped on foot, turned himself in the next day.
In court on Monday, Lowe said that he tried to evade the police because he did not know they were police and he was scared.
Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh decided to hold him at St John’s Police Station overnight and ordered him to pay the aforementioned sum.