Judge blasts teen for riding without a licence or insurance

By Jonathan Bell

A teenager who rode a motorcycle without insurance or a driver’s licence was castigated by a Supreme Court judge, who told him he ought to be jailed.

Jahni Holder, 19, was earlier this week cleared by a jury of causing grievous bodily harm to 17-year-old Rashaun Zuill in the November 9 crash on South Road, Warwick.

However Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves dealt him the maximum fines of $5,000 and $300 respectively for riding without insurance or a driver’s licence.

Mr Justice Greaves told him: “I hold the view that driving any vehicle on the public highways without holding insurance is a serious thing, and it can bring about a lot of harm to innocent users of the road. Who will support the victims? The state will have to do it.”

Mr Zuill, who was severely injured in the collision, remains in treatment overseas.

Holder’s lawyer, Richard Horseman, told the court that his client, whose arm remains in a sling, was remorseful and had been left unable to drive.

Holder had just turned 18 years old, and his youth licence was no longer valid — nor did it cover the class of vehicle he was driving.

Noting that Holder had a previous conviction from 2012 for riding with neither insurance nor licence, Mr Justice Greaves chastised the Pembroke teen, telling the court: “He should not have been driving anything.”

Calling Holder “incompetent”, Mr Justice Greaves likened driving the motorcycle without a licence to flying a jet plane with a parachute licence.

“If he hadn’t gone on the road, there would have been no accident,” he added.

Holder was ordered to pay $300 within seven days or face 40 days in jail, and given 90 days to pay the $5,000 fine for the insurance infraction — or spend 90 days in prison.

He was also disqualified from driving all vehicles for 12 months.