American Visitor Fined $1,500 for Assaulting Hotel Employee Over Coconuts: Legal Consequences and Apology

THE $1 500 which Magistrate Deidre McKenna ordered American visitor Christopher John Guido to pay forthwith could have bought many coconuts, the item which landed him in trouble.

That was his punishment after Guido, of No. 105 Avelon Way, Oldbridge, New Jersey, chucked a hotel employee for refusing to give his girlfriend ten of them.

Had he not paid instantly, he would have faced six months in Dodds Prison.

Pleads guilty

Guido, who was staying at Turtle Beach Hotel, pleaded guilty last week to unlawfully assaulting Ron Romeo on March 27.

Prosecutor Sergeant Shane Chase said Romeo, a beach ambassador, was at a pop-up bar serving guests coconuts. Just after midday, guest Nella Boiel reached the top of the queue and requested ten. Romeo explained that it was one per guest, but the woman insisted they were for other family members.

Join the queue

He in turn advised her that the others would have to come and join the queue.

The woman was abusive, left and shortly returned with Guido. He then questioned Romeo as to why he had not given the woman the requested number of coconuts. The employee explained that the coconuts were limited to one per guest.

Guido moved inside the bar from the front and chucked Romeo on the shoulder, causing him to stumble. The matter was reported to police.

In court, Guido apologised for his actions, saying he just tapped Romeo on the shoulder and had no ill intentions.

However, Magistrate McKenna chastised him for his behaviour, which she described as “not fitting”.

Disgruntled

“Even if you are disgruntled with a decision, it is not within your right to put your hands on anybody . . . . The same way you would not want others to come to your country as a tourist and treat you badly, you cannot come to another person’s country and treat people unkindly,” she told him.