Judge concerned about Half-Way Tree hub
Chad Bryan, Staff Reporter
Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey has expressed frustration with daily improper conduct at the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre. Pusey spoke while dealing with a case involving two men accused of stabbing another man outside the facility on January 26.
The two men, Damion Haughton and Al Johnson, are charged with unlawful wounding.
She expressed frustration about activities affecting the commuting public in and around the centre.
"You know, all sorts of things have been happening at the transport centre and it has to stop. Whatever I can do, I will. It can't be happening in my parish," the livid magistrate expressed.
"I fear for my brothers and sisters who use public transport out there," she continued.
The magistrate feels that effective action has to be taken to curb unlawful activities there.
"If someone doesn't do something about the transport centre, nobody will be able to go out there. It has to stop. I am afraid to go in the transport centre," she stated.
Marketing and communications manager of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company, Clinton Clarke, stated fights or altercations between adults do not happen frequently in the centre.
"Once in a while you will find that," he said.
UNRULY SCHOOLCHILDREN
However, there are problems with schoolchildren who flood the centre, especially on Fridays. Fights, robberies, rampant indiscipline and even sex are known to take place at the centre then.
"Particularly on a Friday, it is overrun with students from schools in the Corporate Area. Anywhere people are and there is hustling and bustling, there are going to be issues," Clarke said.
"They (students) need to leave the transport centre and go to their houses, but they congregate for whatever reason. We still have problems there," he continued.
Clarke urged parents to ensure that their children leave the centre and go home.
For the case in which the two men are accused, the Crown is alleging that at about 3 p.m. on the day of the incident, the complainant was at the transport centre when he was attacked, resulting in injuries to his head and upper body.
It is alleged that one of the attackers told him, "You a informer. A dead you fi dead."
In court, attorney C.J. Mitchell, who is representing both accused, said they were not involved in the incident.
On their first court appearance, the magistrate remanded the accused. When they returned to court last Wednesday, she again denied them bail and ordered that the matter be set for mention on March 12.
chad.bryan@gleanerjm.com