Beenie Man escapes jail time following his sentencing today.
The dancehall legend was fined JM$150000 after pleading guilty on April 19 to breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA). Beenie Man received the sentence at the St. Elizabeth Parish Court on Monday (May 17). His original sentencing date was set for May 14 but that was pushed back to today.
In April, he changed his plea from not guilty as he said that he wanted to take a more responsible approach to the matter. The veteran, whose real name is Moses Davis, had the additional charge of breaching the Noise Abatement Act thrown out during his last court appearance.
Following his last appearance in court, his attorney, Roderick Gordon, explained to Loop News why the dancehall star changed his verdict.
“Beenie Man pleaded guilty to the breach and we will be going back to court on May 14 to make a final plea in mitigation. On that date, Beenie Man will be sentenced, and he is likely to be fined. We will now have the opportunity to lay out the circumstances why it should not be a heavy fine,” he shared.
The charges stem from an alleged illegal party in late November 2020. He was summoned by St. Elizabeth police after advertising a New Year’s Eve party following the alleged November one. As the Jamaican government continues to fight against the spread of the coronavirus, the act was amended by the House of Representatives on March 23. Those who break the health protocols now face fines ranging from J$3,000 to J$500,000.
The “Girls Dem Sugar” singer is optimistic that he will be allowed to share his side of the story.
“We look forward to giving our side of the circumstances that led to the charge. And we believe that once the court hears the full facts, they will understand Mr Davis’s position in the matter,” his lawyer Gordon told the Jamaica Observer.
He added: “There are things which we haven’t been able to say to the court; for example if he was the organiser or not… These are things which come out,” he continued.
