The illegal protest continued like that for just over an hour while the sentencing hearing was postponed. And that's because today was also the day that DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal was to be elevated to Senior Counsel. It in an odd and slightly surreal twist, Vidal was robed and introduced as a new senior counsel by no other than Simeon Sampson, Peck's attorney, and she invited Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie as her guest of honour at the ceremony, which was also attended by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, the sitting magistrate in Peck's case.
After that ceremony, the actual mitigation hearing took place, where the Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie, Lyndon Giuseppe, the Chairman of the Belize Bank, and Retired Pastor Ottley from the Nazarene Church gave character witness testimony of Corporal Peck's sterling reputation as an officer, and as a member of his community.
After careful consideration of the mitigation plea, Chief Magistrate Smith sentenced Peck to pay $200 for each of the 3 convictions. He had to pay them forthwith, which the Police Department did for him. 7News spoke with his attorney outside of court, and he told us that the DPP was the one who suggested a particular section of the law, which bypassed the mandatory jail sentence:
Simeon Sampson, SC - Attorney for Cpl. Gino Peck
"With the assistance of the DPP we were shown a section of the law, a summary jurisdiction procedure act. This section of the law permits/allows, makes it permissible for the magistrate to impose a fine instead of sending the man to jail and that was what happen. Mr. Peck is now paying his fine and he is not going to jail."
Gino Peck
"I cannot say much about the case because it's still before the court, so i will left it as that."
Daniel Ortiz
"But how do you feel right now?"
Gino Peck
"One thing I want to say is that I want to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart from every person who have supported me today."
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