UWI student accused of torturing ex-girlfriend remanded after first court appearance

Matthew Hyde, the university student accused of torturing his ex-girlfriend, was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday. 

Twenty-year-old Hyde has been charged with false imprisonment, malicious communication, assault occasioning bodily harm and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. 

Attorney at law Peter Champagnie who is representing the accused told The Gleaner that his client is to reappear in court on March 9. A bail application is expected to be made then.

“The reason why an application was not pursued this morning is because we were just served with the statements in the matter and consequently we would need time to assess the statement and also to conduct some enquiries on our own behalf in relation to Mr Hyde,” he said. 

The police believe Hyde's ex-girlfriend was held captive for at least three days in his room at the George Alleyne Hall at the University of the West Indies, during which she was "tortured" with a clothing iron "and other stuff". She was discovered sometime after 10 p.m. on February 9.

“The matter is a sensitive matter, it has generated a lot of comments on social media, understandably so, but at the same time one has to be very careful because the matter is now before the court,” Champagnie cautioned.

-Sashana Small 

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