Watchman fined for lying to police

A Belize City man who admitted to lying to police this week has been convicted and charged for the offence. According to court reports, this morning forty-five year old George Grant appeared before Magistrate Roberto Ordonez where he was formally arraigned on the charge of false statement declaration. The matter is considered a hybrid offence, which means it can either be prosecuted at the lower court level or in the Supreme Court. Not surprisingly, Grant opted for Magistrate Ordonez to handle the case. The defendant pleaded guilty and was summarily fined two hundred and fifty dollars, which is to be paid by the end of February. Grant was originally a witness in the trial against two men accused of burglarising Juanita’s Outlet on Albert Street. But when Grant appeared before the Magistrate handling that case, he admitted that he had deliberately lied when he identified the defendants as the culprits because he had a “beef” with them and wanted to make trouble.