Barbados Today

“What is happening in our society is that there is too much road rage. People are cursing you at stop lights and cursing you in the worst way.”

That view was expressed by Magistrate Douglas Frederick earlier this week, after a driver pleaded guilty to assaulting a pedestrian the day before.

Dwane DaCosta Jackman, of Bamboo Ridge, St James admitted that he got out of his vehicle and pushed Harry Lynch, after the complainant struck his car.

According to the police facts, Jackman was driving along Lower Broad Street when Lynch crossed in front of the vehicle and struck it with his hand.

Jackman got out to ask Lynch why he had done so. The two quarrelled and Jackman pushed Lynch in his chest.

A nearby policeman intervened and Jackman was arrested.

Attorney-at-law Wilfred Abrahams told the District ‘A’ Court that at the time, Jackman initially got out of his vehicle believing that he had hit someone. He got upset after realizing that Lynch had hit his car.

Describing his client as “a decent father, husband and a productive member of this society,” Abrahams asked that Jackman be allowed to leave “with his criminal record still clear and intact.”

Magistrate Frederick reprimanded and discharged Jackman. The case was heard on Tuesday.

In admonishing him, the magistrate reminded Jackman that he should not have gotten out of his car to confront Lynch because “cars don’t go to hospital.” He also felt that things could have turned out very differently had he confronted another type of person.