Popcaan fined $40,000 for noise breaches at Unruly Fest

 

Popular dancehall artiste Popcaan was ordered to pay $40,000 or serve 30 days behind bars for breaching the Noise Abatement Act after he pleaded guilty in the St. Thomas Parish Court on Friday.

 

The artiste, whose given name is Andre Sutherland, was charged in relation to the December 23 staging of Unruly Fest in St. Thomas.

 

Mr. Sutherland was fined $6,000 last month after he pleaded guilty to using indecent language, disorderly conduct, using abusive and calumnious language and issuing a threat to police officers.

 

He had, however, sought to challenge a charge for breaches of the Noise Abatement Act, as his name did not appear on the permit. 

 

But when the matter was called up Friday morning, Parish Court Judge Sanshia Burrell ruled that he was a proper person to stand before the court.

 

He subsequently pleaded guilty.

 

One of Mr. Sutherland's attorneys, Matthew Hyatt, told Radio Jamaica News that while he was pleased with the outcome, he believes the circumstances could have been different. 

 

"I made submissions that the matter really should have been discharged in regards to the permit because, as I said before, he was not the one who signed the permit. But Mr. Sutherland, I believe in my humble opinion, was a scapegoat for the police to charge him for breach of the Noise Abatement Act. There were other persons performing on stage, there were the band members and so on, so as to why Mr. Sutherland is dragged before the court, what about the other performers, I can't answer that question. But the matter is at a finality and we can all move on," he declared.