Mark King versus Chester Williams - that was the case in court today before Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb-McKenzie. On November 20th Senior Superintendent Williams accused King or cursing him out. It all happened when King and his crew went to tear down a sign that the PUP had put up, the UDP Council claimed they did so without authorization. City Councilor King was charged with indecent words. What were those words? Well we can't repeat them on this broadcast, but we'll paraphrase: King is alleged to have told Williams: "you da wah blank-ing PUP."
Not what you'd call a big case, but politically juicy, and here's what happened at a summary trial this morning. King's attorney, Michael Peyrefitte argued whether or not the words that Williams claimed King said to him amounted to an indecent assault. Magistrate McKenzie also heard testimony from Williams and Others last week Thursday at a second hearing on the matter. In that hearing, Williams had said that, "he made me feel like I am not being professional."
But when McKenzie gave her decision today, she said that in her judgement, the word, "blank-ing", in her view, was just a descriptive word and was not an indecent words that would disrupt public morals. It was, "just describing what kind of PUP you are." With that said, McKenzie told the court that the words use on that day, she could not see how it was sufficient for this person to have a charge of indecent words. Gabb-McKenzie ruled that King had no charge to answer to and told him that he was a free man.
Today, Peyrefitte said it was a frivolous charge in the first place.
Mike Peyrefitte, Attorney for Mark King
"Being called an f--ing PUP as the Magistrate described in her decision was the, the f---ing was determining what type of PUP he was. So those are not my words. We have reached to the stage now were given the overall context of, we're in a political battle, a tense moment, even if Mr. King said what he said, and we are not saying he said it, but even if he said it, my whole submission was that to be called an f--king PUP is not indecent in terms of being legally indecent.
It was absolutely frivolous and petty. And to have us waste valuable court time, energy, into a case where you have a seasoned police veteran, because Mr. Williams is a veteran by now, to be levying a charge, to have him spend the entire morning at the Magistrate's Court dealing with the fact that he was called a PUP when we have murders and rapes and things, for him to be taking up that position is almost as ridiculous as him guarding a post on the corner Freetown Road and Princess Margaret Drive, or St. Thomas Street rather."
Two other men, James Suazo and Glen Adolphus still face charges for events that transpired on that day.
