By STACY MOORE Wednesday, August 5 2009

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FINED: Crystal Henry leaves the San Fernando Magistrates' Court yesterday. ...

FIVE DAYS after Crystal Henry bared her breasts in full view of the public including police officers in Mon Repos, in protest of the arrest of her epileptic husband, the young mother of two, was yesterday fined $1,000 or in default of payment, 30 days imprisonment, by a San Fernando Magistrate.

Henry, 25, a geriatric nurse trainee was ‘bouffed’ by Magistrate Taramatie Ramdass for “making a spectacle of yourself.”

“When you have children, you have a different responsibility. And if you have a problem with the police, you should have found an attorney and not resort to what you did,” Ramdass told Henry.

Henry, who was wanted on three warrants charging her with indecent exposure, using obscene language and disorderly conduct, surrendered to Mon Repos police at 10.45 am and shortly thereafter, made her appearance in court.

Relating the facts in the charges, prosecutor Sgt Robin Rampersad told the court that at about 1.30 pm last week Thursday, Sgt Bertie and other officers were on duty along the Naparima/Mayaro Road, Mon Repos and responded to a protest.

Henry approached Sgt Bertie and other officers shouting and gesturing with her hands and could not be restrained. Henry, the court heard, later started to curse as she demanded to know the whereabouts of her husband Leibert who was arrested earlier.

Henry later took of her jersey and bra and exposed her breasts. Because no female officer was present, Henry was not arrested and instead, warrants were issued a day later for her arrest. During the court hearing, the front page of Newsday’s July 31, 2009 edition which showed a photo of Henry with her breasts bared before the police officers, was tendered as evidence.

Questioned about her behavious, Henry said: “I was real frustrated. I was real frustrated when I heard the police beat up my husband.” Saying that she was sorry for what she did, Henry added: “I came this morning to the Mon Repos Police Station and apologised to the police officers as I gave myself up.”

Magistrate Ramdass asked Henry: “What did your children have to say when they saw the front page of the newspapers, which I’m sure they did see?” Henry: “My children told me ‘Mummy don’t study it... God will forgive you’.”

(Displaying the Newsday front page before the court) Magistrate: “What did you hope to achieve by doing this?” Henry remained silent. Magistrate: “When you have children, you have a different responsibility. And if you have a problem with the police officers, you should have found an attorney.”

She then fined Henry $1,000 for the offence of indecent exposure and placed her on a $5,000 bond to keep the peace for the next two years on the charges of disorderly conduct and using obscene language.

“I spared you a fine and bonded you on two charges because to me, a bond is more effective. And you need to control yourself. So I bond you for two years to be of good behaviour and to keep the peace,” Magistrate Ramdass said as she warned Henry of an automatic jail sentence should she return to court within the next two years, for any offence.