Teen, 18, pleads guilty to having pepper spray on Carnival Monday

A Diego Martin teenager pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possession of a canister of pepper spray on Carnival Monday.

Justin Ottley, 18, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Port of Spain magistrate Aden Stroude.

He was arrested on Carnival Monday on the corner of Park and Frederick Streets in Port of Spain. According to police prosecutor Sgt Azard Ali, Ottley was among a group of men who were approached by police.

Ali said the police had received information from their command centre about a group of young men.

The group was told of the information the police had. In searching them, police found a canister of pepper spray on Ottley. He told them it was for his protection and was taken to the Central Police Station on St Vincent Street, where he was charged.

While Ali had no objection to bail being granted to Ottley pending sentencing, he did express concern over the boy’s parents standing as surety since, he said, if they had control of their son, he would not have been before the court.

Ali also repeated the concerns of Police Commissioner Gary Griffith, who on Tuesday criticised parents of several young boys who were held by police allegedly trying to disrupt Carnival celebrations.

Ottley was granted $60,000 bail and ordered to report to the probation office so that a report can be provided to the court before sentencing on March 28.