The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO men and a teenager who gave police fake names when they were stopped and questioned must complete 100 hours of community service to avoid spending a month behind bars.

Police arrested Emmanuel Sturrup, 21, Benjamin Penn, 20, and Daniel Penn, 18, after they deceived a public officer on October 6.

The trio owned up to the offence during their hearing before Magistrate Kendra Kelly.

The court was told that around 9 o’clock on the night in question, Police Constable 4359 Ingraham was on mobile patrol in the Johnson Road area when they observed a Nissan Cube travelling west at a high rate of speed. As a result, the officers pursued the vehicle and beckoned for the driver to stop. When he did, they ordered the three male occupants to exit and asked them what their names were. It was at this time that Daniel told the officers that his first name was Jeremiah, while Benjamin told police that his name was Amari Taylor. The court was told that Sturrup also claimed his name was Robert when he was questioned.

The prosecution said while the officers did not find anything illegal on the young men, they did come across a debit card bearing Benjamin’s name. When the officers asked the accused if they had a friend or relative with that name, Sturrup and the Penn brothers said that they did not. This resulted in all of them being taken to the Grove Police Station for their identities to be verified. The court heard sometime later, the men’s mothers came to the station with their passports and NIB cards. When police checked the documents, they realised that they had been lied to.

During the hearing, the trio told the magistrate they were sorry for lying to the police. They said they only did so because they were afraid due to the manner in which the police approached them that night.

In response, Magistrate Kelly said that lying to a police officer was a serious offence and told the accused they had to take it seriously when they were approached by law enforcement. She subsequently ordered Sturrup and the Penn brothers to each complete 100 hours of community service. She warned them that if they didn’t, they could risk spending four weeks in prison.