Six charges about a bus driver who assaulted a female passenger
The speakers and amplifier found in the bus.
Accused: Josh Harry.
Kaieteur News – The bus driver, who made headlines last Monday April 12, for assaulting his female passenger after she complained about the tasteless music he was playing in the bus, has been slapped with six charges.
Defendant Josh Harry, 28, of Back Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD), has pleaded guilty to four of those traffic-related charges. He made his first court appearance at Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The four traffic charges were: violation of road service license condition, loud and persistent noise, driver behavior (violation) and failure to carry conductor.
The prosecutor in that matter had asked the presiding Magistrate, Clive Nurse, to impose maximum fines for the charges on Harry. The nurse agreed and ordered the defendant to pay a total fine of $ 80,000. Since then Harry has paid the sum.
Yesterday he appeared again at Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to face two other charges.
Harry was charged with assault and property damage.
The allegations allege that on Monday April 12 Harry attacked his female passenger Ordella Peroune, of Pearl, East Bank Demerara, and damaged the screen of her cellphone worth about $ 40,000.
Harry pleaded not guilty to both charges and was released on $ 10,000 bail. He is due to return to court on May 14, 2021.
According to the facts of the matter, on the day in question, Harry was driving north along Houston Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), when Peroune, 47, of Pearl, Demerara East Bank, complained to him about his loud and continuous noise (loud music).
The driver then stopped the bus in a rash manner, approached Peroune and grabbed his mobile phone out of her hand. In the process, he had hit Peroune on her mouth and thus violated his behavior as a public transport driver.
The alleged assault was captured on camera. In fact, it was Peroune himself who recorded the video with the same mobile phone that Harry had grabbed out of her hands. Peroune had also told this newspaper, that Harry had caused his phone to fall to the ground causing the screen to crack.
During an investigation, a licensing and certification officer searched the bus and found two Faital Pro speakers six inches and two inches. The officer also found a 1,000-watt amplifier and Sound pipe. All found items were classified as musical instruments, which were not authorized by the prescribed authority.
Police had reported last Thursday that all of Harry’s speakers and his amplifier had been captured.