Observer Radio talk show host Nikki Phoenix has been explaining the ordeal that led to her lock up yesterday afternoon during a live broadcast of the Voice of the People programme.
Phoenix explained that she indeed had a dispute with her former landlord that ended up in the courts for mediation. She since moved out on 14 March, 2018. She further explained that there was a judgment for her to pay an outstanding amount to the landlord which would include outstanding utility bills for the home.
She also hinted that the reason for her leaving the home was due to her police landlord’s “intimidation” measures against her.
“I was not aware that I was supposed to appear in court on this day,” a teary-eyed Phoenix told radio listeners.
Officers were then charged with the execution of a bench warrant and subsequently picked the show host up at her Observer workplace.
When she and the police arrived at the magistrate court, the court was not sitting and there was no magistrate on the bench.
The officers, instead of holding her in the courtroom, choose to hold her in the police holding cell that is normally reserved for the purpose of holding notorious criminals and those likely to abscond.
“All the praying and all the scriptures and all the reciting of the word and the ‘faith without works is dead’, I just stood still,” recounted Phoenix who is also known as Malika Moffett.
Weighing in on the matter was former Commissioner of Police Rawlston Pompey who was also on the scene at the time of Phoenix’s detention at the magistrate’s court.
He went on to liken the Phoenix instance to that of a previous case back in 2016 – George Williams v Police Officer Roland Cuffy, Police Officer Cheryl Allen, the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General.
“At the time of the Claimant’s arrest,” the 2016 judgement read, “it was almost 3:00pm and the Magistrate would have already left for the day; therefore, the Claimant would have to be taken before the Magistrate at the most reasonable opportunity which would have been the following day.”
“This bit of evidence is most telling,” the judgement went on.
“It is readily apparent from the language used that Officer Allen knew that the Magistrate would be unavailable to hear the Claimant on that day, given the time of the arrest. So the intention from the beginning seem to have been to detain the Claimant at the police station until next day.”
Former Commissioner Pompey also contended that the bench warrant had nothing whatsoever to do with the utility arrears owed to the APUA.
“The warrant had nothing to do with the utility bill,” said Pompey.
“When the court makes an order and that order is not fulfilled in the way the court expects it to be, you are still under the jurisdiction of the court.”
Phoenix furnished the utility receipt that showed she had paid in full prior the the execution of the warrant and subsequently she was released.
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Take a barrel of salt with whatever that woman says because she’s a known
Please give the woman a break. Badmindness is worst than witchcraft. Because she talks the truth she is am enemy.
As the saying goes, Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Wow she should.have won an oscar for that performance. Using tear to win over the public while bashing the police in the process. Now here comes the cries that the police wicked and them just want harass she……smdh
“I was not aware..” that excuse may fly now, but on Judgement Day it won’t girl. May God have mercy on us all.
The process would have involved her being served with notice, letting her know her presence was required in court. The fact that this measure had to be taken indicates there were multiple summons, which she did not heed. This seems a lady who sees no need to pay her bills on time
Keep your head up Phoenix u are GOD choosen, don’t worry about these women that hate on u ,they cant be you, the fact that you are beautiful in and out bless up ……that land Lord is a fish and a real big one at that he uses the fact that he works closely with the magistrate to get his dirty work done ,people beware of renting from him
BEAUTIFUL?? You need your eyes examined.
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Tenman your pronouncement appears as if you know for certain she knew she had to appear and ignore. Why would anyone in their right mind ignore the court. Don’t hate the woman because she don’t work at point FM but a station you all don’t like
Why would a judge issue a bench warrant?
Guy (Cool Ruler) is an idiot. Guy doesn’t get that a judge does such only after persons have been served and don’t appear. I am very familiar with the process since I have had to take action against persons in the past for not paying me. Cool Ruler, why would a landlord feel the need to intimidate you in order to collect his/her rent if you are paying on time? I really feel sorry for landlords in this country. Some of them at least at one time have thought of burning their place down, just to get a deadbeat tenant out
Just completed watching an episode of bugs bunny and the developments surrounding this issue is akin to how Cartoon Countries operate. Such a coincidence!
Where was all this knowledge and righteousness with the Michael Freeland fiasco? Did he not know that a glove compartment is not a safe place to keep money? And government money at that? Bunch of hypocrites!!!
The young woman was NEVER summoned to court. Not even her attorney knew she had to court. At her last court date she was told to pay the outstanding utility bill by a certain time in which it was.
The fact of the matter is that her month end ended on the 15th of March. She moved out by the 14th. The keys were given to her attorney to give to the landlord. The attorney called the said landlord and he did not answer. The young lady also called to which she did not get a response. Finally someone got the landlord from a strange number to which he agreed to inspect the house on the Sunday at 4pm which was the 18th of March. That was done.
On the 19th of March there comes a summons to go to court on the 26th of March. But what is even more interesting is that the summons was done on the 16th of March. The same Friday in which he was ignoring the numerous calls placed to his phone.
The young lady moved out on the 14th, the landlord didn’t answer his phone until the 17th.
Deliberate much?
Well Nikki Phenoix must be really expectional that “she was not aware” she had court so the magistrate was wrong to issue a bench warrent for her arrest…..well well well look at hyprocrites talking
Melinda Muffet,Nikki Phoenix bird, Nikki Phoenix the whole thing confusing
Seems awfully fast to have someone locked up for outstanding bills.
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