Carlos Williams, a 42-year-old prison officer assigned to Her Majesty’s Prisons, was on Wednesday fined a total of $2,200 and disqualified from obtaining or holding a driver’s license for six months.
Williams was fined $300 forthwith or three weeks for driving without a driver’s license, $900 forthwith or nine weeks for driving without insurance, and $1,000 forthwith or one month for driving dangerously.
Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne handed down the penalties on Wednesday after Williams pleaded guilty to all three charges. The sentences will run concurrently if the fines are not paid.
The Court heard that on January 12, 2023, Williams was driving a rental vehicle when he was involved in a head-on collision with a private car, during which he and another occupant of his vehicle, as well as the two occupants of the other vehicle including a student, sustained injuries. They were all treated at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and discharged.
Following the accident, the police were called in and investigations revealed that Williams was not the holder of a driver’s license.
Noting that Williams was a prison officer, Prosecutor Sergeant Kenny Jones added, “Mr. Williams should know better. What is good for the goose is good for the gander,” and he asked the Court to disqualify Williams from obtaining or holding a driver’s license for a period of time.
The Magistrate lamented that Williams’ action resulted in four persons sustaining injuries, and the collision could have been fatal.
Sergeant Jones said that on the morning in question, Williams tried to deceive the police by admitting that he was the driver of the vehicle.
The Magistrate expressed the view that Williams was able to drive without a license unnoticed because of his profession.
Jones agreed saying that because he was a prison officer people generally would have held him to a particular standard.
The Magistrate granted Sergeant Jones’ request for and disqualified Williams from obtaining or holding a driver’s license for six months.