Trial of alleged cop-beaters delayed as one of accused arrested at break
Seven Sandys Parish men who allegedly beat up two Police officers last year had their trial briefly delayed yesterday after one of them was arrested on another matter outside the court during a break.
Magistrate the Wor. Charles-etta Simmons ordered Police prosecutor Sgt. Earl Kirby to find out why Kenith Bulford was arrested in the midst of his own trial.
Earlier, Miss Simmons allowed the men a ten-minute break. While they were talking on the sidewalk outside the court, another officer arrested Bulford and took him to the Hamilton Police Station.
"This is highly irregular,'' Miss Simmons said. "I want the officer who made the arrest and the young man brought before me at once.
"By not being here he is in contempt of court and it is inconveniencing everyone. These seven young men are without counsel and I want to get rid of this case today.'' Bulford was returned without comment and the trial resumed.
Roger S. Brangman, 23, of Laurel Lane, Kenith C. Bulford, 19, of Oriel Lane, Kevin C. Butterfield, 18, of Spice Lilly Lane, Jamaine Quidir Salaam, 20, of Mount Pleasant Road, Damaine P. Simmons, 21, of Pleasant Ville Lane, and Perry K. Simons, 18, of Somerset Road, all denied loitering and obstructing the passengers at a bus stop on Somerset Road, and obstructing and assaulting P.c.
MacDonald Hinds and P.c. Stephen Anthony Ebbin as they were attempting to make an arrest.
Salaam is also charged with damaging a window.
A seventh youth, Dennis Leroy Eugene DaCosta, 21, of Cricket lane, denies escaping lawful custody, assaulting P.c. Hinds, using offensive behaviour, violently resisting arrest and intentionally obstructing P.c. Hinds as he attempted to search him under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The offences are alleged to have occurred around 11 a.m. on December 16, 1993.
The officers received a complaint the men were preventing some elderly people from catching the bus.
They investigated, and were allegedly assaulted soon after.
Yesterday, both officers testified.
Both claimed they were attacked by at least ten men who punched and kicked them repeatedly. Neither needed hospital care.
P.c. Ebbin said he and P.c. Hinds went to the bus shelter which is located across the street from Arnold's Supermarket on the Main Road in Somerset.
They were investigating a complaint several men were loitering in the bus stop, preventing some elderly people from catching the bus.
He said some of the men were in the bus shelter while others were standing across the road.
"The elderly people were standing on the paved surface waiting for the bus.
"The youths were inside hanging around loitering, drinking and basically being a nuisance. When I got out of the car some of the guys in the shelter walked across the street.
"I spoke to a man called Levi Robinson and I asked him to tell the guys to clean up the area.'' P.c. Ebbin said as he was talking to Robinson he saw DaCosta walk into the bus shelter and pick up an object from behind a radio playing in the shelter.
P.c. Hinds then told DaCosta he wanted to search him under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
But P.c. Ebbin said DaCosta took exception to being searched and started to struggle with P.c. Hinds.
"I was trying to help P.c. Hinds but Damaine (Simmons) and Perry (Simons) obstructed me,'' he continued.
The accused are unrepresented. The trial continues on June 22 before Magistrate the Wor. Charles-etta Simmons.