PHILIPSBURG–A frequent visitor to St. Maarten’s gambling establishments was sentenced by the Court on Wednesday to three months suspended, on three years’ probation, and fifty hours of community service, for having threatened a casino manager and two visiting tourists in two separate incidents.
On June 6, Fabian Rodolphe Brooks (45) became embroiled in a skirmish with two tourists during a game of blackjack. He accused the woman of playing a “stupid” game which made him lose money.
He claimed he had pulled a knife in self-defence to ward off the couple who were coming on to him, but casino video-surveillance camera images shown in the courtroom revealed that the man had acted aggressively towards the tourists.
The Prosecutor considered the charges proven. These included threatening a casino manager and possession of a knife. The Prosecution called for three months suspended, on three years’ probation, with 150 hours of community service.
Attorney Geert Hatzmann said in his client’s defence that casino security “leaves much to be desired” and that visitors are being granted “limitless” access to these establishments. “It is pretty hypocritical to start crying foul when things go wrong,” the lawyer said.
The manager of the Cole Bay casino, who was threatened by the suspect, made a statement in Court. He said that while working in casinos for 30 years he had seen it all, including some “high-octane” situations, especially when patrons are losing money while they are under the influence of alcoholic beverages. “We are trained in dealing with such situations when visitors become confrontational and aggressive,” he explained.
He said there had been numerous incidents involving the defendant. “I asked him to leave the place to avoid a confrontation and to keep the entertainment business safe. The victims were visitors who wanted to have a good time. Suspect is a bad example of the indigenous people of St. Maarten,” the manager told the judge.
The suspect denied that he was addicted to gambling. “Everyone gambles here,” he said to the judge.
For two other casino incidents, which took place June 7-8, the defendant was sentenced previously to do 240 hours of community service. He was found guilty of having stolen a number of casino tokens and was convicted of involvement in an altercation with a person and injuring one of his victim’s knees.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92152-suspended-sentence-community-service-for-casino-troublemaker
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