A Stabroek Market seafood vendor was on Thursday cleared of a charge that he assaulted a policeman.
Franklyn Wilson, 42, however, was placed on bail on a charge that he assaulted his common-law wife when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
It was alleged that on August 12, at Georgetown, Wilson assaulted Police Constable Richard Haze and his wife Omadele Greene.
Prosecutor Burgett Grant said that on Sunday evening, Constable Haze was performing his duties when Greene made a report against Wilson, who subsequently came after her and was arrested.
Grant added that Wilson became annoyed and pushed the constable and dealt him a blow to his mouth. At this point, she said, a passing police patrol assisted the constable in placing Wilson in custody.
Wilson told the court that he went to the police outpost and he asked the officer to hear his side of the matter, but Haze used indecent language towards him. “I asked him, ‘What sort of justice is this? I can’t even get the chance to speak for myself,’” he recalled, adding that the policeman subsequently came around from the desk at the outpost and snatched his jersey and pulled him. He said he told Haze that he could not arrest him like that and he was punched in the neck. “I did not hit the police. We had a slight scuffle but I don’t know how he mouth get burst,” said Wilson.
Magistrate Octive-Hamilton after verifying the injury sustained by the constable explained that the policeman did not act in a professional manner, but noted that it did not give Wilson the right to attack him. Wilson was warned, reprimanded and the charge in relation to the assault on the policeman was discharged. The prosecution had no objections to the bail application on the other assault charge, for which Wilson was placed on $10,000 bail.
The matter was then transferred to Court One for September 25 for report on fixtures.
