The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

POLITICAL activist Rodney Moncur told The Tribune yesterday that he will push to have his “grossly indecent” picture- posting case sent to the Supreme Court so that he can have “swift justice”.

Mr Moncur, who mistakenly appeared in Magistrates Court No 2 a day earlier than his scheduled preliminary inquiry before Magistrate Constance Delancy, said “I am ready for my case.”

“My strategy is a simple one,” said the 56-year-old Market Street resident and former DNA candidate for Bain and Grants Town. “I shall help the prosecution to push my case into the Supreme Court. The only way that I don’t go to the Supreme Court is if they withdraw the charges.”

“I don’t want them to withdraw the charges, so I shall be doing everything to push this into the Supreme Court so I can have swift justice.”

Moncur, who was arraigned on April 4, faces a single charge of committing a grossly indecent act.

It is claimed that between March 1 and March 29, he “intentionally and unlawfully” published a photograph of Jamie Smith, who is dead.

Mr Moncur opted to be tried by a jury in the Supreme Court rather than a Magistrate and was granted $7,500 bail, which he posted the following day.

He was initially told that a Voluntary Bill of Indictment would be served on him on May 10 to fast-track the case to Supreme Court for trial.

However, during his return appearance before Deputy Chief Magistrate Carolita Bethell, he was told that the Attorney General’s Office decided to have a preliminary inquiry in the lower court.

Mr Moncur objected and said: “Justice is not being served.”

Magistrate Bethell told him it was the prosecutor’s right to decide where the case would be heard.

After a brief shouting match between the magistrate and Moncur, and Moncur being threatened with ejection from court, Magistrate Bethell transferred the matter to Court 2.

Mr Moncur then appeared before Magistrate Delancy, who told him he did not have to enter a plea due to the nature of the charge.

He requested that his $7,500 bail be reduced because he was “being held prisoner by two nice women” who signed his bail.

He also requested that he be provided with the evidence that the prosecution has against him so he can “properly defend” himself.

Magistrate Delancy told Mr Moncur his bail would remain in place but she ordered the prosecution to release the evidence.