T&T cops in court on rape charge

(Trinidad Express) COURT AND PROCESS police officers attached to the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court did all that they could to ensure that members of the media did not get a picture of two of their colleagues who appeared in court yesterday charged with rape.

Media photographers, who were allowed to stand on the sidewalk just outside the courthouse minutes prior to the two accused leaving and allowed to take photos of other accused as they entered the Amalgamated Security truck, were told that they had to “move to the other side” of the street.

Officers insisted that photographers “cross the road”, saying they were given orders that no one was allowed to be too close to the prisoners’ truck as that posed a security risk.

At 4.31 p.m., the two accused were seen leaving the courthouse, having been provided with white T-shirts to completely cover their faces.

The officers, instead of being taken in the prisoners’ truck, were bundled into an Amalgamated Security bus, TCH 4806, which was heavily tinted, before being taken away with blaring sirens.

Earlier in the day, the men, police constables Steven Worrell, 35, of Post Office Trace,Tabaquite, with 14 years’ service; and Marvin Mitchell, 32, of Tobago Road, Lendor Village, Chaguanas, with ten years’ service; appeared before Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor to answer the charges of rape, grievous sexual assault, kidnapping, buggery and two charges of misbehaviour in public office, namely demanding $1,000 from their alleged victim’s boyfriend and accepting $960 from the man to forgo a criminal charge.

The men, who were recently absorbed into the Police Service after serving as Special Reserve Police (SRP) officers, were last attached to the Central Highway Patrol Unit, based at Freeport Police Station.

The offences are all alleged to have occurred on March 30 at Connector Road, Chaguanas.

When the matter was called yesterday, the magistrate enquired as to why the men were at the Port of Spain court. She was then informed that they had been charged in Port of Spain so, as a matter of formality, they were brought to the courthouse and will then have the matter transferred to the respective jurisdiction.

The magistrate then remanded the men in custody, transferred the matter to the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court and adjourned it to today, even as one officer informed her that they may not be brought to court for a lack of transportation.

It is alleged that the officers on the night of the incident found the woman and a male companion engaging in sexual acts in a parked car close to the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.

The duo, after noticing the couple, ordered them to get dressed and took the woman to a secluded area where they allegedly raped and buggered her.

After the assault, investigators said the officers dropped the woman off in Chaguanas. She later made her way to the Chaguanas station where the incident was reported.