Ocho Rios security scare prankster fined $1 million

St Catherine resident Chevon Flowers, who caused a security scare in Ocho Rios, St Ann in June, was today fined $1,000,000 or nine months imprisonment in the parish Court.

Flowers, who pleaded guilty to using a computer for malicious communications, was sentenced by Senior Parish Court judge Desiree Alleyne. 

Alleyne said that having expressed remorse and retracted his action, this allowed him to benefit from a reduced sentence.

Attorney-at-law Maesha Wilson-Campbell made a lengthy impassioned plea for a lesser fine.

She told the court that what her client did was a prank and that he had no malicious intent.

The judge said that she was not minded to change the sentence as his action caused businesses at the Eight Rivers Plaza in St Ann to lose $21.9 million.

The judge admonished and discharged Flowers on the charge of creating public mischief, which she said was the same as malicious communications. 

The Crown also made no order on the charge of extortion.

The court heard that on June 3, Flowers uploaded a video on social media, causing a security scare in Ocho Rios.

Following investigations by the police, Flowers was taken into custody.

He was subsequently charged with creating public mischief, using a computer for malicious communications, and extortion.

During his appearance on June 13, he plead guilty to using a computer for malicious communications and creating public mischief and plead not guilty to extortion.

- Rasbert Turner

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