LINSTEAD, St Catherine - The Linstead Resident Magistrate's Court has ordered Dr Sandra Nesbeth, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for North West St Catherine, to surrender her passport to the police after she was arrested on a bench warrant Monday for failing to attend court on Wednesday, January 2, to answer several criminal charges.

NESBETH.pleaded not guilty to charges

Nesbeth, a medical doctor with offices at 52 Fletchers Avenue, Linstead, is facing charges of assault at common law, assaulting the police in the lawful execution of their duty, obstructing the police and using abusive language.

On Monday, she pleaded not guilty to the charges and Resident Magistrate Marcia Dunbar-Green offered her $100,000 bail with surety to return to court on Wednesday, February, 6, when the case will again be mentioned.

But as a condition of her bail, Dr Nesbeth was ordered to immediately surrender her passport and other travel documents to the police. She is barred from leaving the island and to report to the Linstead police on Mondays and Fridays between the hours of 6:00 am and 6:00 pm. The magistrate also ordered that her fingerprints be taken to determine if she had a criminal record.

Her attorney, Earl Hamilton, apologised to the court for her non-appearance on January 2, saying that his client meant no disrespect as her absence was due to a misunderstanding.

Nesbeth, he said, had dengue fever and was uncertain whether to attend court in Spanish Town or Linstead, having not read the summons. He said when she discovered that the matter would be in the Linstead court, it was too late.

In a plea to the court to grant his client her own bail, the attorney submitted that Nesbeth was well known by everyone in Linstead.

But RM Dunbar-Green rejected the submission and slapped the conditions of bail on his client.

Police said the charges arose out of an incident on Saturday, November 17, 2007 when Nesbeth allegedly tampered with a crime scene along East Street in Linstead by seizing a number of spent shells which she refused to hand over to the police. It was during a scuffle to wrestle the exhibits from her that Nesbeth is alleged to have committed the offences.

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