CORPORAL Richard 'Pampas' Simpson, the policeman who allegedly shot off one of his testicles while being arrested in an anti-corruption sting operation last month, was yesterday sentenced to 12 months in prison with hard labour when he appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate's Court.

In addition, the policeman, who appeared in court dressed in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and a dark blue tie, was ordered to pay $500,000 or spend an additional six months behind bars.

Upon hearing the sentence, Simpson bore a dazed look on his face, which he kept while being led from the dock. He embraced one of his colleagues who was standing in the corridor and then burst into tears on his shoulder, just before being led down to the courtroom lock-up.

On January 26, during a sting operation led by the Internal Affairs/Anti-Corruption Division of the Professional Standards Branch (PSB), Simpson was seen accepting a bribe from a taxi operator. After being confronted by members of the PSB, it is alleged that Simpson proceeded to wrestle with the officers and tried desperately to eat the money he had accepted. During the altercation, Simpson is also alleged to have drawn his service firearm and shot himself in the groin, resulting in the loss of one of his testicles some time later.

Before putting in a lengthy plea on Simpson's behalf yesterday, K Churchill Neita, QC, lined up several character witnesses for him, including a police inspector from the traffic division, two car dealers and a medical doctor. All the character witnesses described Simpson as an honest, hard-working man and a community activist in Denham Town, where he lives.

The witnesses also expressed their surprise and dismay after hearing of Simpson being arrested, saying such behaviour was unconventional of him.

Neita then read aloud to the presiding magistrate, Judith Pusey, eight written character references about Simpson from persons absent from the sentencing. The referees expressed similar sentiments and descriptions of Simpson as the character witnesses that preceded them.

During his plea mitigation, Neita implored RM Pusey to exercise mercy in handing down her ruling, and to impose a non-custodial sentence as Simpson had admitted his guilt and was penitent for his actions.

"He [Simpson] has come and admitted his guilt and his penitence and has now prostrated himself at your honour's feet," Neita told Pusey.

"To send a man to prison is a waste of the human spirit, prison must not be the necessary solution .The appropriate sentence would be a non-custodial one," he added.

Neita also maintained that Simpson had incurred substantive losses since the date of the sting operation, including the loss of his pension, his 16 years of service in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, his position of respect in the wider society, and a positive relationship with his daughter who, according to Neita, now looks at her father as a convict.
Neita also alluded to emotional damage Simpson suffered after losing his testicle. However, Pusey was unmoved, saying "it speaks about his arrogance and his behaviour when being arrested by the police".

In handing down her ruling, RM Pusey pointed to the negative influence that Simpson's conduct would have on children.

"There's one thing that stands in my mind. He has set himself up as a mentor, as someone that children look to. and now he has disgraced them. Think about a child in Denham Town who is balancing on the brink, what will happen to that child after hearing of Mr Simpson,"she said.

"This court must impose a sentence that will demonstrate how the society views this kind of conduct," the magistrate said.

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