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Prison officers give court evidence against colleague

by Emmanuel Joseph
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Two of three prosecution witnesses testified today that they were asked by prison officer Trevor Browne to sick out in early May 2018 to protest against Superintendent John Nurse regarding appointments in the service.

Browne, who is president of the Prison Officers Association of Barbados, is facing a possible year in the penal facility where he worked for the past 35 years, if he is found guilty of four charges related to inciting mutiny or sedition at Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds, St Philip.

The accused is charged that between May 1 and May 9, 2018 he maliciously endeavoured to seduce fellow officers David Davis, Ophneal Austin, Shanell Ellis-Vaughn and Stephenson Trotman from their duties by participating in a sickout.

When the case resumed today in the District ‘D’ and ‘E’ Magistrates’ Court at Cane Garden, St Thomas before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes, Trotman told the court that on the morning of May 4 while he was working with five inmates, the accused called him aside and asked him if he would stay home the Tuesday and Wednesday of the same week.

The Crown witness said Browne explained why he wanted him to take this action.

“Because of the officers who were not appointed,” Trotman said.

“I told him I am not in agreement with that,” the witness added.

In response to a question from police prosecutor Inspector Janice Ifill, the prison officer said the accused said nothing else to him.

As he continued his evidence, Trotman recalled events of May 8 and 9, the days of the alleged sick-out.

He said that on May 8,  his blood pressure was high so he went to the doctor and later brought in a ‘sick paper” for that day. However, the witness testified that he reported for duty the following day.

Questioned further by the prosecutor, Trotman told the court he did not see the accused when he returned to work on May 9.

The prison officer recalled seeing Browne next on May 11 in the car park of the prison when his vehicle and that of the accused’s were parked next to each other.

He informed the court that he got out of his vehicle and greeted the accused with good morning, but Browne cursed him and told him he was no r.. h..e good and I would not work with the association and I want chasing to f… way from the prison.

He also told the Chief Magistrate he was a member of the association on the day in question and still is.

The witness rejected a suggestion by Andrew Pilgrim Q.C., attorney for the accused, that all of his evidence today is a lie and that the only one who approached him to make a statement in this case was a police officer from Oistins station on September 7, 2018.

The second Crown witness to give evidence today was Davis.

He remembered being on duty in the prison on May 7 and being approached by the accused.

“Mr Browne approached and asked me how I was working the next day. ‘I told him I was working night. He said to me, call in sick,” the prosecution witness told the court.

When asked by Ifill what was his response, Davis said he told Browne: “I am not sick and I am coming to work.”

He said Browne did not say anything else to him but turned away and left.

Under cross examination by Pilgrim, the witness admitted that the statement he made to the police differed slightly from his evidence in court today. Pressed further to scrutinize the written statement which was shown to him and compare it with what he said today, Davis told the Chief Magistrate that the written version to the police was more correct.

He had earlier agreed that the events at the time of making the statement to the police would have been fresher in his memory than now. He had also disagreed with Pilgrim that Browne never told him to sick-out.

Austin, the third Crown witness, who testified that the accused approached him and queried if he had any more [sick] days left, said he was never asked to sick-out. He said it was normal for Browne to ask him about sick days.

The case was adjourned until August 21 at 11.30 a.m.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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