Albert Martinez Guilty of Causing Death by Careless Condition of 6-Year-Old
Albert Martinez
In the courtroom of Justice Colin Williams, the case of forty-five-year-old Albert Martinez concluded. He was spared jail time after taking a guilty plea to the lesser charge of causing death by careless conduct in the fatal traffic accident that took the life of six-year-old Ashanty Pollard. Martinez who had originally been indicted for “manslaughter by negligence” pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of “causing death by careless conduct” after the prosecution amended the original charge. In course of the proceedings, Martinez expressed remorse for causing the death of Pollard. Justice Williams fined him three thousand dollars, which he has to pay by next year September. Ashanty Pollard’s father, Seyon Pollard’s gave a reaction after exiting the court at the end of today’s trial.
Voice of: Seyon Pollard, Father of Deceased
“That doesn’t sound fairly because the judge didn’t say anything about his license and he neva give full details of the amount. I think that not really justice; partial. It is not fair to me.”
Ashanty Pollard
Reporter
“What would you have liked to see? Can you share with us?”
Voice of: Seyon Pollard
“Well his license should be terminated cause this is the second child that he knocked down; not the first. And more justified manner the judge shoulda mi carry out.”
Reporter
“Talk to us about Ashanty. At the time of the incident, did she die right away?”
Voice of: Seyon Pollard
“She died on the spot. At the impact she get hit, she died. I was at the scene after, but the doctor said she died as ih get knock. It was really tragic so she neva suffer the pain really, but ih mother suffer the pain most.”
Reporter
“How has the loss of her affected your family?”
Voice of: Seyon Pollard
“It affected me a lot and so, but mostly my son cause he stay ask for his sister and that bothers me a lot.”
The fatal accident occurred on February twenty-sixth, 2017. Martinez was driving a Toyota corolla car reportedly under the influence of alcohol on Fabers Road Extension in Belize City when he knocked down and killed Ashanty Pollard. Pollard was walking with her mother, Dawn Swasey, when they were struck. Pollard died on the spot, while her mother received minor injuries. In court, Martinez was unrepresented, while Crown Counsel Portia Staine-Ferguson prosecuted the case.
