Court orders man to pay for damaged ankle monitor

Nassau-A man said he cut off his ankle monitor after winning his case because he needed work, a court heard.

Sony Pierre, of Carmichael Road, admitted causing $1,512 in damage to the tracking device at his arraignment before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes on May 26.

The court heard that staff from Migragill Security lost track of Pierre on November 21, 2017.

However, police didn’t locate him until May 21.

That’s when they arrested him for violating his bail conditions.

Pierre told officers that used a knife to remove his ankle monitor.

In court, Pierre apologized for his actions.

But he said that the ankle monitor remained on his leg after he won his stealing case before Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis.

Pierre said he couldn’t get a job while wearing an ankle monitor so he took it off himself.

According to Pierre, he almost cut himself while removing the ankle monitor.

Forbes told him that he could have returned to the court for it to be removed.

Pierre said he wasn’t thinking. He said he just wanted to get back to work to help his family.

Forbes gave Pierre until July 30 to pay for the cost of the damage.

He’ll spend six months in prison if he doesn’t.

Pierre has a prior conviction for causing damage in 2014.

In that case, the court also made an order for compensation.