AN ATTORNEY YESTERDAY ALLEGED police brutality in the case of three Jamaicans and one Barbadian who were charged in connection with an around-the-island spate of robberies.
Defence counsel Alan Carter, who pointed to marks on accused Gairy DeCoursey Zepherin’s face, said two of the four accused alleged “they were beaten until they defecated” .
However, Magistrate Pamela Beckles told the attorney that if he felt strongly about the matter, he should take it up with the relevant authorities.
Zepherin, 33, of Valley View, St George, along with Maurice Owen Myron Whitfield, 25, of 1st Avenue, Arthurs Land, Tweedside Road, St Michael, Kingsley George Anderson, 27, of Rendezvous Terrace, Christ Church, and Donovan Curtis Jackson, 21, of Reece Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael, were not required to plead to a number of charges when they appeared in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutor Sergeant Trenton Small, in objecting to bail and pointing to the seriousness of the offences, called the charges a “spate of robberies, burglaries and thefts spanning the north, south and central jurisdictions”.
“Our fear,” the prosecutor said, “is that should the accused be granted bail that there is every likelihood that there will be a continuation of the commission of similar offences.”
Sergeant Small further revealed Whitfield, Anderson and Jackson were illegal non-nationals; Zepherin was known to the court and a firearm, which had not been recovered, was used in some of the offences.
However, defence attorney Carter said despite the submissions that the charges were serious, they were merely allegations at this stage.
Magistrate Beckles remanded the four to HMP Dodds.
Anderson, Zepherin and Whitfield will appear in the Oistins’ Magistrates’ Court on Monday June 7; in the District “C” Court on Wednesday; in District “B” Boarded Hall on Thursday; at Belleplaine on June 14 and in Holetown on June 15.
All four will reappear in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court on July 1.
