Marc Alexander Reid was fined £1,000, bound over for six months and ordered to pay £25 compensation for damage to police equipment after admitting charges of assaulting a police officer, being drunk and disorderly, malicious damage and violently resisting arrest.
Centenier Danny Scaife said that officers were called to the Condor Rapide when it arrived at the Elizabeth Harbour at about 6.30 pm on 7 October following reports of a fight between two men on the deck.
Condor staff told officers that Reid (37), of St Saviour’s Road, had assaulted a woman.
When the officers went to arrest him, Reid refused to comply and violently resisted. During the struggle, he assaulted an officer by making contact with his eye but the officer sustained no lasting injury.
In addition, a police radio was torn off and the trigger device of a canister of CS spray was damaged. Mr Scaife said that Condor staff and members of the public had to assist the police to get Reid under control.
The woman Condor staff thought had been assaulted by Reid later told the police that the defendant had merely lost his balance and fallen toward her. It was accepted that no assault took place and Reid had done nothing wrong before the police took hold of him.
Advocate Jean-Marie Renouf, defending, said that Reid admitted that he was very drunk at the time and did not remember much about what had happened.
‘He is extremely embarrassed and remorseful and he has described this matter as if it has ruined him,’ Advocate Renouf said.
Reid told the court that he accepted responsibility for his actions. He added that he was not a drinker and told the court he would never drink again.
In sentencing, the Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris said: ‘You very candidly admitted that you had too much to drink and had no particular recollection of what had happened.
‘When the police turn up at incidents, they have to take the best decision based on the information they have. You went wrong by not saying: “I will come with you now and we will sort it out afterwards”.’
