KINGSTON, Jamaica — Two men who pleaded guilty to possession of offensive weapons while in public were fined Tuesday as they made appearances in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

In the first case, Clifroy Hepburn was charged with having a black handle scissors in his possession while being in public on June 30, 2024. Hepburn pleaded guilty but stated that he had an explanation for the weapon being in his possession.

When Senior Parish Judge Paula Blake-Powell permitted him to explain, Hepburn said, he uses the scissors to “cut up weed.”

“On that day, it was a Sunday afternoon, I was going home and get pulled over in a taxi. The police told me to come out the car and (the policewoman) search me and she found the scissors. It was just a small scissors weh me use cut up weed because me smoke.

“I asked her a question saying ‘can I get back the scissors?’ and she reply with aggression, say me nuffi talk to her. So she search me and she start ask for my address but it’s like me make a mistake with me address and she say ‘you a lie to me?’ and me say ‘no it was a mistake’ and she say ‘me a bring you go a station and charge you’,” Hepburn explained.

“So Mr Hepburn are you telling me that having scissors to cut up weed and smoke is a lawful reason?” Judge Blake-Powell questioned. While Hepburn responded no, Judge Blake-Powell reiterated her question “guilty or not guilty?”

Hepburn pleaded guilty and was fined $1,500 or 10 days in jail.

In the second case, Maurice Maxwell pleaded guilty to being armed with a brown handle 3-star ratchet knife in a public place without authorisation on July 17, 2023. Judge Blake-Powell ordered that Maxwell pay a fine of $2,500 or spend 10 days in prison.

Both men paid their fines and were released.