On Tuesday, May 2, two individuals involved in a fight with police at V.C. Bird International Airport last Wednesday, April 26, made their second appearance before the St. John’s Magistrates Court after spending the holiday weekend in custody at His Majesty’s Prison.
The individuals, Larry Parks, 45, and Yetta Purcell, 42, both from Pennsylvania, USA, had previously appeared before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh on Friday, charged with malicious damage.
The court ordered them to pay compensation to the victims of the damage they caused, as well as for injuries sustained by a female police officer.
The duo sought to obtain legal representation, and the magistrate remanded them until Tuesday to allow them time to do so.
They later hired attorney-at-law Lawrence Daniel, who arrived late to court after his clients had already pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
Daniel attempted to have the duo change their plea, but they ultimately decided to maintain their plea of guilty after being advised that they would not be able to leave the country if they changed it.
The police arrested and charged Parks and Purcell for maliciously damaging a vehicle, A62760, which belonged to Charlene Carr.
The two had use of the vehicle during their stay in Antigua and Barbuda and allegedly caused damage to it using a wooden stool and a stone after an altercation with Carr.
The landlord reported the matter to the police, and the damage was later estimated at over $4,000, the same amount they had to pay her in compensation.
The duo faced another charge of malicious damage for damaging motor vehicle C18829, which belonged to the government of Antigua and Barbuda.
They were ordered to pay compensation in the sum of $2,332 to the government.
Parks and Purcell faced additional charges for assaulting police officers, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct by making noise, all of which occurred at the airport on April 26.
The court ordered them to compensate a female police officer who sustained injuries in the confrontation.
The other officers did not require medical attention, and the court reprimanded and discharged Parks and Purcell for the offenses against them.
Video footage showed the police struggling to control the visiting Americans, with one of them having to be restrained on the ground.
A stop order had reportedly been placed on them at the airport by the police.
