News

Constable has bail extended

western bureau:

A POLICE CONSTABLE attached to the Savanna-la-Mar Police Station, and who is facing charges in both the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court and the Gun Court, had his bail extended when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday on assault charges.

Daval Simmonds had appeared before the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday and was offered bail in the sum of $100,000 and is scheduled to appear in the Gun Court tomorrow.

Altercation

Simmonds, who was stationed in St James in December 2002, when the incident was said to have occurred, is alleged to have been directing traffic in Sam Sharpe Square on Christ-mas Eve, December 24, 2002, at around 11:15pm, when an altercation developed and he and two other policemen responded to it.

The complainant, Trevor Stephens, is alleging that he was pepper sprayed and when he spoke to the policemen about it, he was chased, held and beaten, causing wounds to the let side of the face, skull, and left hand.

Dalton Reid, Simmonds' attorney, then told the court that it was the policeman who was attacked by a drunk Stephens, who had followed him some ways and gone after him with a bottle.

Reid said the policeman was forced to use his baton to defend himself. Simmonds was offered bail in the sum of $80,000 with surety.

In the other case in Spanish Town, a taxi driver was held up on April 20 at about 11:30pm along Featherbed Lane in St Catherine by two men. One of them, the driver said, was about 6' 2" tall and the other, who was shorter, had a handgun.

The cab driver said he was robbed of his car. He reported the matter to the police and Simmonds was picked up on May 5 and positively identified during an identification parade on June 5.

The file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and a ruling was handed down on June 7, that the cop be charged with robbery with aggravation and illegal possession of a firearm. He is being represented by attorney-at-law Lancelot Clarke Jnr in that case.