The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 59-year-old man who pleaded guilty to violating curfew in New Providence was ordered to pay a $200 fine or spend one week in prison on Friday.

Michael Rolle appeared before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans charged with curfew violation after police found him in the Golden Gates community around 12:03 pm on October 31.

Mr Rolle was also accused of resisting arrest after an officer found him in the community on the day in question.

During Friday’s hearing, the prosecution told the court that an officer was in the Golden Gates area when they observed a man walking and acting in a suspicious manner.

According to the prosecution, officers then questioned Mr Rolle about his reasons for being in the area and whether he was aware of the curfew.

The prosecution said it was at that point when the said officer noticed that “something” had dropped from Mr Rolle’s body, which was suspected of being drugs.

The court was told the officer then attempted to arrest Mr Rolle, but he resisted by pulling away. He was subsequently arrested and taken to Carmichael Road police station.

During the hearing, Mr Rolle agreed with the facts read by the prosecution and pleaded guilty to curfew violation and resisting arrest.

As for the possession of dangerous drugs count, the court was told that Mr Rolle had already been charged for that particular offence.

The court also heard on Friday that that Mr Rolle had no previous convictions and was a professional golfer who represented the Bahamas in the 1980s.

After hearing litigation, Magistrate Voght-Evans ordered the defendant to pay $200 or face spending one week in prison for the curfew violation.

He was also fined $150 for resisting arrest and was told that failure to do so would result in one-month imprisonment. Both fines were paid the same day.