Dancehall
star Andre 'Popcaan' Sutherland was yesterday fined for assaulting a police
officer at the Norman Manley International Airport in 2013.
The artiste, who is also known as 'Poppi', was
fined $25,000 or six months' imprisonment, after pleading guilty to the charge
in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court. Popcaan was represented by
Bert Samuels.
Samuels had asked the court for the charge not
to be a part of his client's permanent record or it may affect his ability to
travel.
"The court was told that we wish to go to
mediation on the matter. The police officer was asked if he wished to mediate
and he agreed," Samuels told THE
WEEKEND STAR.
He noted that mediation was one of the ways to
avoid a person getting a record against their name.
Allegations were that on November 24, 2013,
Popcaan was preparing to leave the island when he was stopped by the police who
requested a search of his luggage. The entertainer refused to be searched and
became boisterous, using expletives to the officers.
During the dispute, the 'unruly' deejay was
accused of using a Hennessy bottle to hit one of the policemen in the face,
causing a wound. The deejay was later charged with assault occasioning actual
bodily harm.
Source: THE WEEKEND STAR