A labourer who was caught sporting a bullet casing as a pendant and wearing a camouflage short pants landed him a night in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Clarence Lezama, 59, of Claxton Bay apologised for his actions when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine in the San Fernando First Court.
He pleaded guilty to having in his possession a spent 5.56 round of ammunition and clothing resembling an item used by members of the military.
Court prosecutor Cleyon Seedan said around 1.30 pm, PC Noyan and other officers were in a marked police vehicle patrolling along Hermitage Road, Macaulay Village, Claxton Bay when they saw Lezama standing on the side of the road dressed in a camouflage pants.
When Noyan confronted him about wearing the pants, Lezama said, “Boss, I sorry.” Seedan said the officer then searched Lezama and observed the brass bullet attached to a string hanging from his neck.
In court yesterday, Lezama claimed he found the spent shell in Claxton Bay.
In relation to the pants, Lezama said his boss brought it for him from Miami four or five years ago.
However, Lezama told the magistrate he was aware that wearing camouflage clothing resembling the army’s uniform was against the law. Noting that he had three convictions in the past ten years, the magistrate said: “All your fashion seems to be against the law. You had a chain with a spent shell and a camouflage pants.”
She fined him $500 or 30 days in jail on each offence.
He has to pay one of the fines immediately and the other fine in a month.
The magistrate ordered that the items be destroyed.
