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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016. 3.
News 3
Witness not sure of Exeter’s intention De Freitas confirmed that he had been a member of the Royal St. Vincent GRANVILLE DE FREITAS, a former police and the Grenadines Police Force officer and prosecution witness in the (RSVGPF) for six years but recently Benjamin ‘Ben’ Exeter trial, admitted under resigned. cross-examination on Monday that he was He recalled that on the day in ‘bothered’ when he saw Exeter, with a question, he was on duty at the House of firearm on him, moving in the direction of Assembly when around 3:45pm, ASP Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, during Timothy Hazelwood dispatched him to a protest outside the House of Assembly, provide security in an area which was December 29, 2015. barricaded. It was then that he (Exeter) Exeter, who is contesting otherwise forced himself between some police his loss as a New Democratic Party officers. (NDP), candidate for Central Leeward in Exeter, the witness said, was stopped the Dec. 09, 2015 general election, and by one of the officers whom he said he Shabazaah George, a member of the did not recognize. NDP Youth Organization ‘Young The witness added that he also saw Democrats’, are being tried together, on Corporal Morris stop Exeter, and it was separate charges arising from an at this point that he spotted what incident at the protest. appeared to be a firearm in Exeter’s Exeter has been charged under the waist. Public Order Act with unlawfully having “Corporal Morris pulled that object an offensive weapon, to wit, “a firearm”, from his (Exeter’s) waist and just before at a public meeting outside the House of Corporal pulled the object from his Assembly. He is also charged with waist, he (Corporal) shouted, ‘Boy the assaulting constable Granville De man have a gun’,” De Freitas related, Freitas, causing him actual bodily harm, adding that Morris then held onto assaulting Corporal Cuthbert Morris, Exeter who responded by pushing him and resisting arrest. away. George is charged with obstructing “The Corporal held onto him again Corporal Morris during the execution of and he pulled away. He grabbed the his (Morris) duties, and that without Corporal around his collar with both lawful excuse, had in his possession an hands. offensive weapon to wit, ‘a zapper’. “I pulled away his hands from the Corporal’s shirt and I heard the Corporal Spotting the gun tell him he would be reporting against him for assaulting a police officer,” De
by HAYDN HUGGINS
Freitas said. He and Morris then proceeded to take Exeter to the nearby Central Police Station.
Cross-examination
Under cross-examination by defence attorney Kay BacchusBrowne, De Freitas told the court that the area through which Exeter had forced himself was located in front the main entrance to the House of Assembly. He said the Prime Minister had just arrived and was about to take the salute close to Granville De Freitas (right), along with that area. Corporal Morris ‘escorting’ Ben Exeter to “He (Exeter) forced himself through a crowd in the direction the Central Police Station. where the police were and when he about reached to the police, he forced himself 20 ft away. through the police, ” De Freitas “What is your relationship to the explained. According to the witness, Exeter went Prime Minister, first or second cousins?” Bacchus-Browne asked the witness. in the direction of the Prime Minister. But Assistant Director of Public “That seems to be bothering you?” Prosecutions Colin John sharply Bacchus-Browne asked. rebutted, “I want to know what’s the “Yes please, My Honour, he (Exeter) relevance of this?” had a firearm on him and he was not a Bacchus-Browne retorted, “We have police officer,” De Freitas replied. always said that this case is highly When the lawyer asked De Freitas whether he viewed Exeter as a threat to political,” and added, “In other words, I am putting it to him that he is bias the Prime Minister, the witness said, “I because he is related to Dr. Gonsalves.” don’t know what was his intention.” Bacchus-Browne asked De Freitas De Freitas explained that it was after Exeter had gotten past the police officers again whether he was ‘closely’ related to the P.M, to which the witness replied, that he noticed the firearm. He was “No please, Your Honour.” She also inquired of De Freitas whether he was dismissed from the constabulary for dishonesty, stating that she was testing his credibility. Continued from Front Page. supplied by police witnesses. ASP Timothy But De Freitas maintained that he “It would be unfair to our client and Hazelwood’s resigned, and that he was not aware of Bacchus-Browne strongly to the administration of Justice in St. testimony was what the lawyer was speaking about. objected to the question, Vincent and the Grenadines if we do Corporal Morris, the first witness to interrupted by stating that there was no not ask the learned Magistrate to have testified at the trial which arguments over a such charge before the court. commenced at the Kingstown charge which Exeter’s recuse himself”, she declared. But the magistrate The lawyer however made it clear Magistrate’s Court on May 31, had told lawyer said was nonresponded that there was. that, “This has nothing to do with our the court that he ran up to Exeter and existent in her client’s respect for the magistrate but Bacchus-Browne pulled the gun out of the holster which charge record. expressed disappointment everything to do with our duty to was in Exeter’s waist, after Exeter’s that the magistrate would defend our clients to the best of our shirt went up and he noticed what case, and without even say something like that. ability.” appeared to be the black handle of a hearing the defence. Pompey then went on to Exeter has been charged with being firearm. “This is not how fair say that even though Exeter present at a public meeting outside the Evidence was also heard from trials are conducted”, was not charged with House of Assembly on December 29, Corporal Irakie Mayers who, according she declared. breaching the peace, there 2015, had in his possession an offensive to the evidence, was speaking to Exeter Bacchus-Browne was evidence that he did, weapon, to wit, “a firearm”, otherwise when Corporal Morris noticed the pointed out the defence when he forced himself through a line of than in pursuance to lawful authority, firearm, and ASP Hazelwood, who told is cognizant of the fact that the police officers, during a protest. contrary to section 14 (1) of the Public the court that checks made at the Traffic magistrate, Assistant DPP and ASP But Bacchus-Browne vehemently Act, chapter 396 of the Revised Laws of Department of the RSVG Police Force Hazelwood all worked together as police St. Vincent and the Grenadines. questioned, “What law did Mr. Exeter ascertained that Exeter was the holder officers, as the Assistant DPP and the break by walking through a line of Exeter is also charged with of a licenced firearm, which matched the magistrate are former members of the police officers during a protest?” assaulting constable Granvil DeFreitas, serial number of the firearm that was Pompey then said that the Assistant local constabulary. causing him actual bodily harm, taken away from him. She also noted that the matter is a DPP, in asking the question, was assaulting Corporal Cuthbert Morris, The matter has been adjourned to police case with classical police charges and resisting arrest. “leading” the witness. June 20 to accommodate George who is such as assault, assault causing actual Bacchus-Browne told THE George has been charged with sitting pre-CXC exams which will run bodily harm and obstructing a police VINCENTIAN that what Pompey was obstructing Corporal Morris and over a two-week period. doing was giving a conclusive finding of officer, and that the only evidence possession of an offensive weapon, to Attorney Israel Bruce is also against Exeter and George is evidence fact before the end of the prosecution’s wit, a ‘zapper’. representing Exeter and George.
Exeter’s lawyer requests magistrate’s recusal