TUESDAY, JULY 31: A 49-year-old man was fined $50 for selling goods on the street without a peddler’s licence.
Buford Smith pleaded guilty to the offence in Magistrates’ Court today.
He was due to be stung with a $280 fine but he saved himself a few hundred dollars when he reminded that court he had been fined just $50 for the same offence nine years ago.
The court heard police were called to Church Street opposite City Hall yesterday where Smith was sat selling goods out of a grocery cart.
The officers asked him to produce his peddler’s licence and Smith said, “I’m not in nobody’s way”.
He then started to walk away with the cart.
The officers followed him and again asked to see his licence.
Smith told them he didn’t have one.
He then said: “If you give me a ticket, I’m going to throw it away.
“I ain’t paying s**t.”
He was arrested and taken to the Hamilton Police Station.
Police seized various items from the grocery cart including bottles of scented oil, incense, Bermuda caps, sun visors, baseball caps, a gold chain and a silver chain.
Addressing the court, Smith said: “I think they stretched the truth a bit.
“I plead guilty but they told a lot of stuff here that’s not true.”
Magistrate Tyrone Chin then asked prosecutor Karen Clarke what the typical fine would be for this offence.
She told him $280.
But Smith said he was fined $50 for the same offence nine years ago.
Ms King then brought up his record and told the court he was correct.
Mr Chin gave him a $50 fine to be paid by August 7.