Claude Mills and Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writers
NOTICE
DOGGED BY controversy this week, Mayor of Spanish Town Dr. Raymoth Notice avoided prosecution on assault and wounding charges in the Linstead Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, but is still embroiled in an unrelated police investigation.
Dr. Notice walked free after a no-order was made in an assault case his wife brought against him in court. His appearance in court arose out of an incident on April 27 this year when he allegedly hit his wife several times. She reported the matter to the Bog Walk Police Station and following investigations, a warrant was executed on the mayor yesterday morning to answer to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, two counts of assault at common-law and one count of unlawful wounding.
But, when asked if she wanted to proceed with the matter, Mrs. Notice said she did not, and preferred to try counselling first.
When he appeared in court before Resident Magistrate Simone Maddis, his lawyer Sean Kinghorn made a lengthy submission to the court, requesting that his client's case be mentioned in camera. However, clerk of the court, Maxine Jackson, opposed Mr. Kinghorn's application on the basis that there cannot be separate laws for the rich and poor, and that it was the second occasion in recent times that the mayor appeared before the court on a similar offence. RM Maddis allowed the matter to proceed in open court.
The Mayor's former driver last year accused him of assault but the case did not proceed to trial.
FORENSIC TESTS
Meanwhile, the Bog Walk police hunting the killers of Otis Doyley of High Mountain district in St. Catherine are trying to track down two men who were alleged to be travelling in a vehicle assigned to the mayor at the time of the killing.
On Tuesday, the police seized a vehicle registered to the St. Catherine Parish Council and assigned to Dr. Notice in order to conduct forensic tests on blood and flesh samples which were allegedly found inside the vehicle.
The police are now keen to speak to the occupants of the car at that time. Yesterday, the vehicle, a Suzuki Grand Vitara, was seen parked at the Bog Walk Police Station.
When contacted last night, Dr. Notice said that he "was being co-operative with the police but no one has taken a statement from me or my driver up to this point. All I have been told is that the vehicle has been involved in criminal activities."
ALLEGATIONS
"I am at a loss as to what they are talking about. I drive my vehicle home every night. There is only one way in and one way out, and it cannot be removed from my home unless I know. I control my vehicle," Dr. Notice emphasised. "I am just hoping that there is no foul play, I hope that honesty will prevail because I am getting very suspicious."
In the meantime, RM Maddis then ordered that a no-order be made against the Mayor. The RM warned both parties that they needed to consider the interest of their children and to do better next time. The Mayor then left the court with his entourage of JLP councillors.
When contacted, Karl Samuda, General Secretary of the Jamaica Labour Party said he will investigate the circumstances relating to the allegations and will report to the party on Monday before any decision is taken.
