By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A WOMAN who claimed she broke the national curfew because she was on her way back home from picking up an important item from her friend’s house was fined $1,000 yesterday.

Bissau Miller, 22, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after officers found her on Carmichael Road around 9.20pm on May 7. She pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000 or six months in prison.

Prosecutor Kendrick Bauld told the court on the night in question, officers on mobile patrol in the Carmichael Road area stopped a vehicle that was travelling east and questioned the driver, who told the officers she was going to her friend to pick up something.

When given an opportunity to speak, Miller told the magistrate she only violated the curfew because she was “heading home from picking up something from her friend in Coral Harbour”. During the hearing, she also told the magistrate she felt the item was important enough for her to leave her house.

In response, Magistrate McKinney said her actions were a “wilful defiance of the law” and fined her $1,000 or six months in prison.

Meanwhile, Ian Farrington, 35, was charged after officers found him on Shahs Drive, Redland Acres around 10.20pm on May 18. He pleaded guilty and was fined $500 or six months in prison. He was also charged with damaging a man’s Samsung cellphone that same day. He pleaded guilty to that charge as well and was ordered to compensate Delvone Demeritte $350 for the broken phone.

Noel Lamm, 32, and Bashard Seymour, 27, were also charged for violating the national curfew after officers found them on May 15 around 4.20pm on Lady Slipper Avenue, Garden Hills. Both of the defendants denied the charge and the matter was adjourned to September 1 for trial.