Jonathan Ash at a court appearance. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune staff
By FARRAH JOHNSON
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A BUSINESSMAN was fined $7,000 on Monday for selling alcohol in breach of the national curfew and emergency orders put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jonathan Ash appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis Monday morning, charged with violating the curfew and operating a non-essential business on Friday April 17.
He was arrested after videos went viral on social media, showing a liquor store selling alcohol to people who were violating the national curfew while a police car was parked outside.
Ash came to court wearing a face mask and was flanked by officers, but was not handcuffed. He pleaded guilty to both charges.
During the arraignment, Ash’s attorney said her client, 35, is married, has three children and no previous convictions. She also asked Magistrate Rolle Davis to be lenient and not impose a custodial sentence. As a result, Ash was fined $2,000 or nine months in prison for count 1 and $5,000 or one year for count 2. He paid $2,000 today and was given until Friday, April 24 to pay the remaining balance.
Ash made headlines as the Crown’s main witness against former Cabinet minister Shane Gibson in his bribery case. Ash alleged he paid Gibson hundred of thousands of dollars in bribes so he could receive outstanding government cheques for hurricane clean-up work.
A jury acquitted Mr Gibson of those charges last year.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Tribune.
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