Woman fined for obstructing police

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A woman who cursed at police attempting to search her home for a suspect has been fined for her behaviour.

Jaynae Dillas, 27, pleaded guilty to both obstructing officers and using offensive words, telling the court the officers were being disrespectful.

According to Crown counsel Cindy Clarke, at around 6.15pm on June 10 officers searching for a suspect in an unrelated matter came to a Riviera Crescent home where they believed he was hiding.

When they arrived however, Dillas refused to allow the officers into the property, shouting: “What the f*** do you want? Why don’t you just f*** off?”

With neighbours looking on, the officers told Dillas to calm down, but when one officer reached to open the door Dillas pushed past him and gripped his arm.

The officers then went to arrest Dillas, causing a brief struggle in which she grabbed an officer’s radio and refused to let go.

Appearing in court, Dillas admitted the offences but said she had told the officers the suspect was not in the house and was trying to prevent the officers from frightening her aunt, who has suffered multiple strokes.

“They told me they were looking for a crack head, and I said he wasn’t here,” she said. “ I was acting out of self-defence and trying to protect my auntie. She would have had another heart attack right then, and then what?

“It got me vexed, and I’m pretty sure if Your Honour were there you would feel it too.”

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner however responded that the police were trying to do their job and Dillas should not have reacted the way she did.

“They believed that this suspect went into your house,” he said. “They had the authority to chase him an go into the property to get him.

“You would appreciate that in emergencies like that police cannot necessarily stop and apply all the niceties that one would like. This man could have done whatever. He could have been invading your house. You don’t know.

“I understand that you were upset but at the same time there was no need for you to behave the way you behaved.”

Mr Warner fined Dillas $300 for obstructing police and another $300 for using offensive language.

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