Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:

Security guard Basil Brown, who was charged with five counts of wounding with intent following the injuring of five students from Vere Technical High School last year, has been fined a total of $110,000 or 15 months hard labour.

His employer Samuel Tulloch, who was charged with operating an unregistered company and employing an unlicensed guard, was fined $200,000 or 18 months hard labour.

Both men were sentenced in the Clarendon Circuit Court yesterday by Justice Lloyd Hibbert. The judge, in handing down the sentence, warned both men that it was carelessness on their part that allowed the incident to occur.

Students wounded

Their appearance in court arose out of an incident on November 28 last year when Brown, who was armed with a shotgun, accidentally discharged the weapon on the grounds of the Vere Technical High School in Hayes, Clarendon, injuring five students. Following the shooting, students protested and set fire to the guardhouse on the compound.

Brown was taken into custody by the May Pen police who also took Tulloch into custody that evening. It was also borne out that Blade Security Company, which was operated by Tulloch at the time, was not registered and that Brown was not licensed to carry a firearm.