A Coast Guard officer charged with six offences, including assaulting three police officers, claims he was beaten by the police. Wearing a neck brace, Feddy Saunders, 34, of Siparia, was granted $40,000 bail by San Fernando Fourth Court Magistrate Natalie Diop to cover all the charges when he appeared in court on Monday. But he was unable to secure his bail and was taken to prison.
Saunders pleaded not guilty to the charges, including three counts of assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty, resisting arrest, using obscene language and breaking into the home of a woman with intent to do her grievous bodily harm. All the offences allegedly took place at Orchid Gardens, Pleasantville, on Sunday. Through his attorney, Annalee Girwar, Saunders complained that he was beaten about his body by various police officers at the alleged crime scene.
Girwar said her client was wearing a neck brace because of soft-tissue injuries he received during the beating. She said he also received abrasions to the face, chest, back and legs. Girwar said the police took Saunders to a health centre and then to the San Fernando General Hospital, where he was treated. Police prosecutor Sgt Chanardath Jhilmit said Saunders had not been traced because the computer system was not working. However, he did not object to bail.
Girwar said Saunders, the father of two children, only had traffic offences pending. The magistrate adjourned the matter to June 30.