Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes believes a national parenting programme must be introduced to “turn this society around”.
He made the suggestion on Monday as he handled 17-year-old Serrian Jamali Scott-Fagan who was charged with using insulting language towards a police officer and having a knife in his possession on Hastings Road, a public place, on August 6.
The Jackman’s Alley, Orange Hill, St James resident, who said he’s a farmer but has ambitions of becoming a rapper, pleaded guilty to the costs.
When the Chief Magistrate asked him what he had done to get the obligatory education to change into a rapper, Scott-Fagan said he had applied to a skills training school.
One in every of his parents, who was in court, further disclosed that nothing else had been done to guide the teenager towards accomplishing his goal.
To this, Magistrate Weekes said: “Wunna ain’t parenting . . . keep bringing children and just leaving them rudderless. This place needs that national parenting programme. If we don’t get that national parenting programme, we is not going to turn this society around. You all should be put through parenting programmes. You all shouldn’t have basic ideas as to find out how to parent children. You’ll hear a baby and what he desires to do shouldn’t be the traditional thing but yet you all have no idea the small print concerning the possible programmes at community college and . . . other music schools within the country.”
The Chief Magistrate then placed the first-time offender on a bond to maintain the peace and be of fine behaviour for the following six months. If he breaches the order, he could have to pay a $1 000 positive forthwith or spend 90 days in prison. The sentence was imposed on each offences, to run concurrently.
Sergeant Crishna Graham, in giving the facts of the case, said that on August 6, police responded to a report within the Rockley, Christ Church area where a young man stated he had been attacked by a gaggle of men.
He then pointed to Scott-Fagan, who was stepping into a taxi, as one in every of the culprits.
The vehicle was stopped and when police spoke to Soctt-Fagan, he replied: “you is a f***ing idiot, go from ’round me.”
He consented to a search and when a knife was discovered in his waist, he told police that he had the weapon for his protection.
Before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the teenager said: “I’m sorry for using the language to the officer and having the weapon. I had it for my protection . . . . Sometimes some people does come ’round me and my friends so I had it to guard myself.”
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