Popcaan Pleads Guilty, Fined $6,000 For Unruly Fest Conduct
Dancehall artiste Andrae Sutherland, professionally known as Popcaan, has been fined $6,000 after pleading guilty to four of the five charges against him for his conduct at Unruly Fest.
The Unruly Fest originator engaged in a heated verbal altercation with the police as the concert was brought to an abrupt end by the authorities in December. Following Unruly Fest, the artiste was slapped with five charges on January 4.
Popcaan received four charges stemming from his behaviour at the event (issuing a threat, using abusive and calumnious language, using indecent language, and disorderly conduct), as well as breaches of the Noise Abatement Act. Earlier today, Popcaan appeared in the St. Thomas Parish Court in Morant Bay and pleaded guilty to all of the above charges, except for breaches of the Noise Abatement Act.
Following today’s hearing, a member of Popcaan’s legal team, Matthew Hyatt, disclosed to the press that the deejay was fined $1,500 for each charge he had pleaded guilty to. Hyatt reiterated the sentiments he and his client had shared with the court, noting that Popcaan was taking responsibility for his actions while highlighting that the entertainer was a prominent member of St. Thomas.
Hyatt expressed that the incident was unfortunate but went on to highlight the difficulties Jamaican entertainers face regarding the limitations of the Noise Abatement Act. The attorney further noted Popcaan’s previous issues with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), describing the artiste as their target.
In regards to Popcaan entering a not-guilty plea for breaching the Noise Abatement Act, Hyatt said the permit granted to Unruly Fest was not granted to his client. Hyatt also shared that the deejay will be returning to court on February 9 to further address that charge.
Popcaan took to social media on Wednesday to joke about the 6000 fee.
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