Mechanic injured during COVID curfew traffic stop freed after cops discredited
Published:Thursday | September 14, 2023 | 1:22 PM
Mechanic Denroy Minott was on Wednesday freed in the St Thomas Parish Court after the prosecution conceded that the police witnesses who testified at his trial were discredited under cross-examination.
The trial started last November and concluded yesterday.
Minott was facing several charges including resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and abusive language.
Minott, 41, had maintained that he was innocent of the charges.
He was represented by King's Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney-at-law Patrice Riley.
The charges stemmed from an incident in December 2020 when the police claimed that Minott failed to obey their lawful orders for him to get off the streets during a curfew under COVID-19 restrictions.
During the trial, Minott asserted that it was the cops who behaved disorderly against him when he questioned them why they were not compliant with the COVID-19 mask mandate.
During cross-examination, the attorneys suggested to the police witnesses that having been angered by Minott's question about them not wearing masks they became angry and began to beat him.
Minott was taken into custody and he further claimed that the police used a baton to beat him in his head and other parts of his body resulting in him being taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital in St Thomas for treatment.
Three of the cops said under cross-examination they did not see any injuries on Minott while the fourth admitted that there were injuries to his head.
During the trial, it was borne out that although Minott had migrated overseas since the incident, he continued to come to Jamaica to contest the matter in court.
After the Crown closed its case, Champagnie and Riley argued that the police witnesses were discredited and Minott should be freed.
The prosecutor agreed with the submissions.
- Barbara Gayle
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