Six charges for bus driver who assaulted female passenger

Apr 22, 2021 News

The speakers and amplifier found in the bus.

Charged: Josh Harry.

Kaieteur News – The bus driver, who made headlines on Monday April 12, last, for assaulting his female passenger after she complained about the vulgar music he was playing in the bus, has been slapped with six charges.
The defendant, Josh Harry, 28, of Back Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD), has since pleaded guilty to four of those charges, which were traffic related. He made his first court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’Courts on Monday.
The four traffic charges were: breach of condition of road service licence, making loud and continuous noise, conduct of a driver (breach) and failing to carry a conductor.
The prosecutor in that matter had asked the presiding Magistrate, Clive Nurse, to impose the maximum fines for the charges on Harry. Nurse agreed and ordered the defendant to pay a total fine of $80,000. Harry has since paid the sum.
Yesterday he appeared again at the Georgetown Magistrates’Courts before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, to face two more charges.
Harry was charged with assault and damage to property.
The charges allege that on Monday April 12, Harry assaulted his female passenger Ordella Peroune, of Pearl, East Bank Demerara, and damaged her cellphone screen valued at some $40,000.
Harry pleaded not guilty to both charges and was released on $10,000 bail. He is expected to return to court on May 14, 2021.
According to the facts of the matter, on the day in question, Harry was driving north along the Houston Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), when Peroune, 47, of Pearl, East Bank Demerara, complained to him about his loud and continuous noise (loud music).
The driver then stopped the bus in a rash manner, approached Peroune and snatched her cellphone out of her hand. In the process, he had hit Peroune on her mouth thereby breaching his conduct as a driver of a public transportation.

The alleged assault was captured on camera. In fact, it was Peroune herself who had recorded the video with the same cellphone Harry had snatched out of her hands. Peroune had told this newspaper too, that Harry caused her phone to fall to the ground causing the screen to crack.
During an investigation, a licensing and certifying officer had searched the bus and discovered two six-inch and two eight-inch Faital Pro speakers. The officer also found a 1,000-watt amplifier and an Audio pipe. All the items found were classified as instruments of music, which were not authorised by the prescribed authority.
Police had reported last Thursday, that all of Harry’s speakers and his amplifier were seized.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News