A man who breached the Covid-19 curfew while wearing an electronic monitoring device has been jailed for a month.

Lawrence Smith, 22, from Paget, pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Shelter in Place regulations.

Smith admitted unlawfully visiting a home in Southampton on April 7 and April 9 and that he left his home in breach of curfew.

The Crown said any breach of the regulations was serious, and the defendant’s multiple breaches required an immediate custodial sentence.

But Elizabeth Christopher, the lawyer for Smith, said the facts of the case were no more serious than those heard by the courts the week before which resulted in fines.

She asked the court for leniency, and added that the fact Smith was wearing an EMD for an unrelated matter when he committed the offence highlighted the fact he did not know he was breaking the law.

Smith himself told the court that if he had known what would happen, he would not have left his home.

He told the court he had travelled to his cousin’s home to let him borrow his bike to go to the grocery store.

Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe noted that the offences happened while Smith was on probation.

He added that the offences could not be “chalked up to youthful conduct”.

Mr Wolffe jailed Smith for one month, with time already served taken into account.

The case was one of more than ten curfew-related cases to appear before an online sitting of Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Another man, 52-year-old Swayne Gibbons from Hamilton Parish, was fined for a breach of curfew.

Gibbons was caught by police on a motorcycle on North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish, in breach of the Shelter in Place regulations.

Mr Wolffe said the offence was in the “mid-range”, but was aggravated by the defendant’s efforts to run and hide.

The magistrate fined Gibbons $3,000.

Marty Lima, 56, from Devonshire, was also fined after he plead guilty to breaches of the curfew.

Prosecutor Nicole Smith said Lima was caught attending another person’s home on North Shore Road in Hamilton Parish last Thursday.

He allegedly left when confronted by police — only to later return to the same address.

She said Lima had shown “blatant disregard” for the regulations and called for an immediate custodial sentence.

Charles Richardson, Lima’s defence lawyer, said the defendant had returned to the property because he had left his wallet and jacket there.

Lima apologised to the court for his breach.

Magistrate Tyrone Chin said he would give the defendant the benefit of the doubt and fined him $2,000 for the offence.

In other matters, Kyle Wade, 30, from Pembroke, denied that he left home in breach of regulations on Sunday and violently resisting arrest on the same date.

Mr Wade was released on $3,000 bail until April 27 with a surety and warned not to leave his home until the Shelter in Place provisions are lifted.

Derrick Gibbons, 47, from St David’s, denied that he rode a livery cycle along Kindley Field Road last Thursday in breach of curfew.

Mr Gibbons was released on $3,000 bail with a surety until April 27.

Marc Pascoe, 32, from Devonshire, denied that he rode a livery cycle on King Street, Pembroke on Saturday.

Mr Pascoe was released on $1,000 bail and ordered not to leave home until the Shelter in Place regulations are lifted. The matter will also return to the courts on April 27.

Randolph Allen, 70, from Paget, denied that he used the Railway Trail between Ord Road and Cobbs Hill on Saturday, despite the closure of the trail under the Shelter in Place regulations.

He was released on $1,000 bail and the matter will return to the court on April 27.

Shae Wade, 28, from Southampton, denied that he drove a car on Robert’s Avenue in Pembroke in breach of curfew last Thursday.

He also admitted driving without third party insurance.

Wade was fined $1,000 for the insurance matter and released on $3,000 bail with a surety for the curfew breach.

His matter will return to the courts on May 4.

Dion Hart, 34, from Pembroke, denied charges that he drove along St John’s Road in Pembroke on Good Friday in breach of curfew but admits that he failed to stop for officers.

Hart was released on $3,000 bail with a surety for the curfew breach and $500 for failing to stop.

Both matters will be mentioned on May 4.

Zjah Bean Smith, 24, from Pembroke, denied that he drove a motorcycle on The Lane in Paget on Good Friday in breach of curfew.

Mr Smith was released on $3,000 bail with a like surety with the matter to return to the courts on May 4.

Shae Butterfield, 32, from Pembroke, denied being a passenger in a car on Valley Road, Paget on Saturday in breach of the curfew.

He was released on $3,000 bail with a surety, with the matter to return to the courts on May 4.

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