Village man sent to jail after police bust him riding up-stop in Belize City

By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Lords Bank construction worker was sent to prison for two weeks after his arrest for riding a bicycle against the flow of traffic led the court to uncover several unpaid fines for previous bicycle offences.

Ashton Keiron Garbutt appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court and pleaded guilty to causing a bicycle to proceed along a one-way street in the wrong direction.

Police alleged that at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026, cops saw Garbutt riding against traffic on Vernon Street.

According to the officers, Garbutt jumped from the bicycle and hid behind a vehicle after noticing the police. He was searched, but nothing illegal was found.

When informed of the traffic offence, Garbutt reportedly told the officers, “Boss man, I nuh know this dah one way because I dah nuh from here; I dah from village.”

During his arraignment, Garbutt told the court that it was his first traffic conviction. However, a check of his court record showed that he had five previous traffic convictions, including offences for riding bicycles without bells or lights in 2020 and 2021. The magistrate reprimanded him for being untruthful.

Garbutt was fined $30, along with $5 in court costs, for the latest offence. He was given until August 10, 2026, to pay or serve one month in prison.

However, the court also discovered that Garbutt owed $105 in fines from five previous traffic convictions. When he was unable to pay the outstanding amount immediately, a warrant was issued and he was escorted to the Belize Central Prison to serve two weeks.

All of Garbutt’s previous bicycle-related convictions reportedly arose from incidents within Belize City.

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