Kevin “Saucy Pow” Darlington was among 17 people arrested and charged for loitering on the San Fernando Promenade on Tuesday night.
All but one of the 17 accused pleaded guilty to the charge.
They were ordered to pay a fine of $200 or face one month in jail when they appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington in the San Fernando Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
One of the accused, Vidya Ramlogan, pleaded not guilty and told Wellington family problems had landed her on the streets.
She was granted $400 bail and the matter was adjourned to July 8.
According to reports, Darlington was seen lying on a cardboard box, covered in sheets of newspaper around 11.30 pm on Tuesday. Darlington is a well-known cross dresser.
When he was approached by officers of the San Fernando Police Station and questioned as to why he was lying on the pavement, Darlington replied: “I here, because I here.”
When asked by Wellington where he lives, Darlington said Tarouba Heights.
Wellington asked him to be more specific, but Darlington said he could not remember the name of the street where he lived.
The magistrate told him he would not be given time to pay the fine as he had not satisfied the court that he had a fixed place of residence.
Also among the prisoners was a 60-year-old man who told Wellington he went to collect medication for a stroke at the San Fernando General Hospital on Tuesday but he decided to spend the night on the promenade because he could not get transport to get home.
David James, who was found lying on a cardboard box, covered with a white sheet, told the court he lives at Ste Madeleine.
Wellington gave him four days to pay the $200 fine or face one month in jail.
Althea King, one of the three women charged, told Wellington she was only on the streets because she had been evicted from her Tunapuna home last week.
King said since then she had been searching for a place to live without success. She told Wellington she had over a $1,000 in cash which she said was confiscated by police.
She said she would use some of the money to pay the fine immediately.
Wellington wished her well in her search for a home.