Man beaten in head, says he has been too long in lock-up and upset to see mom cry
Maurice Mills
Two prisoners, who were awaiting transport back to lock-up after their hearing in the St Ann’s Bay RM court, engaged in a fight that disturbed court proceedings for about 20 minutes and resulted in both being beaten by the police and one sustaining a wound to his nose. The fight is said to have occurred after one prisoner insisted the other was verbally disrespecting his own mother and it was not to be so. About 11:20 a.m., Friday, July 11, a loud uproar was heard on the ground floor of the courthouse near to the section where the prisoners are held pending their appearance before the court. This noise disturbed court proceeding and caused perplexed looks on the face of RM Andrea Thomas who was presiding. Upon inquiry, this reporter noticed that the noise was coming from the cell where the prisoners were held, and that police officers were there trying to pacify whatever the furore that was taking place in the cell. The officers included two female corporals and a number of constables. When the uproar was stopped, both men were summoned before the court by RM Thomas. One of the men, Michael Thompson, who is before the court on a charge of robbery with aggravation, was crying aloud, stating that he was beaten in the head by police officers and that their actions were a form of injustice. He told RM Thomas that two men ganged him in the cell while he was talking to his mother. He said the police attacked him as if he was the only one fighting and in the process, he got a few baton blows to his head. While he was talking, he bled from the left side of the nose. Thompson was the only one wearing a handcuff at the time. The other prisoner engaged in the fight, Rojay Stubbs, told RM Thomas that Thompson was “dealing with his (Thompson’s) own mother like she is a little girl and him was using indecent language.”
He said Thompson was behaving in an outrageous way, but he could not remember the exact words that Thompson used to his mother. “Mi tell him say him caan deal with him mother in such a way cause a him mother alone him see, him not seeing nuh friends (while in lock-up),” Stubbs said. He said at that time Thompson punched him to the face. Thompson, who is said to have been the aggressor, said he was hit first and that was why he retaliated. One police officer however said that Thompson was not behaving badly with his mother from what she heard of the conversation. Another officer said that Thompsonwas beaten to restrain him as he was disrespecting the police officer who went into the cell to quash the fracas. The police officer who is said to have done the beating told the court that he did so to restrain both men. Thompson, who was behaving in a disrespectful manner, was told by RM Thomas that he was a prime candidate for the high security Horizon Remand Centre based on the behaviour he was showing. She told him that he has no respect for the court, the police or his mother. Thompson, in apologising, sarcastically told the officer that “I am sorry that I didn’t allow you to beat mi up in my face.” He then apologised again much to the approval of the judge. He said the reason for his action was that he has been lockedup for a very long time and that he was angry to see his mother cry. He will return to court on Friday, August 29, for on the robbery with aggravation charge to which he has pleaded not guilty.
