Govt Senator gets conditional discharge

Government Senator Lester Henry.
Government Senator Lester Henry.

GOVERNMENT Senator Dr Lester Henry, who pleaded guilty to driving drunk at Warren Street, Woodbrook, on September 23, was given a conditional discharge when he appeared in the Port of Spain Magistrates Court for sentencing in March.

He was charged after police stopped his car and administered a breathalyser test which showed his blood alcohol content was 51 micro grammes. The legal limit is 35 micro grammes of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of breath. Henry was given the conditional discharge in accordance with section 71(1)(b) of the Summary Courts Act and placed on a bond to keep the peace for three years.

He also provided details of his treatment. According to section 71(1)(b) where a person is charged with a punishable offence, and the court thinks that the charge is proved but is of the opinion that “having regard to the character, antecedents, age, health, or mental condition of the person charged, or to the trivial nature of the offence, or to the extenuating circumstances in which the offense was committed, it is inexpedient to inflict any punishment or any other than a nominal punishment,” it may, without proceeding to conviction, make an order discharging the offender conditionally.

The section allows for the offender being put on a bond to be of good behaviour or return to court for sentencing if this is breached. Henry was expected to be sentenced in February, but was not as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution took over the case.

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