Shawn Hinds granted bail over kidnapping of 13-year-old girl

Ex-police officer Shawn Hinds who allegedly kidnapped a 13-year-old girl was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $300,000 when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that on January 27 at Freeman Street, East La Penitence, 41-year-old Hinds of 46 Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge abducted a 13-year-old girl with intent to secretly confine her.

Shawn Hinds
Shawn Hinds

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge of abduction on February 2 when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Attorney-at-law Glen Hanoman, who represented Hinds in association with Vic Puran on February 2, had stated that the classification of abduction that his client had been charged with was a bailable offence and made an application for bail.

Hanoman noted that Hinds had fully cooperated and had given the police a statement which showed that he had an “iron-clad alibi” for his whereabouts when the incident occurred.

Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith had at the time objected to the bail application, stating that although the offence was a bailable one, there was a possibility that if Hinds was granted bail he might interfere with the teenage girl. She said that on the day in question the teenager was walking on Freeman Street when Hinds abducted her and took her to a place in Timehri, East Bank Demerara, then to another place on the East Coast Demerara where he handed her over to another man “where other things took place that I wish not to mention at this point.”

Hinds is to return to Court Five on September 4 for the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the matter.