FOUR men who each complained of being brutalised by the police were remanded to prison last Thursday after pleading not guilty to receiving flat screen television sets stolen from Golyn and Sons Electronic Store.

Defendants Nicholas Choy, 25, Omaldo Williams, 21, Orin Brady, 43 and Jason David, 30, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman.       Each of the defendants complained that they were physically abused by the police after being arrested.
It was alleged that tattoo artist, Choy of Lot 184 Charlotte Street, Georgetown, on September 9 received a DVD player and a flat screen television, valued a total of $260,000, knowing them to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained.
Defence counsel, George Thomas said Choy, a father of two, has a minor matter pending and made an application for him to be granted his pre-trial freedom, stating that the defendant would lodge his passport if necessary.
The lawyer then directed the court’s attention to injuries which he said the defendant suffered about his body after being arrested.
Choy winced while touching the parts of his body where he was bruised  as he showed the court that he was brutalised and asked to seek medical attention.
He claimed he was beaten by two policemen, one after another.
Williams of Lot 83 Leopold Street is alleged to have received a flat screen television set, valued $110,000, from Choy knowing it to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained on September 9.
Appearing for taxi driver Williams, defence counsel, Paul Fung-a-Fat told the court that the man has a wife and a child and was locked up for three days with no form of identification.
The lawyer said the allegedly stolen television was found three doors away from his client’s home. Before applying for him to be put on bail, Fung-a-Fat asked the magistrate if co-defendant Choy can testify in the trial to clear Williams’ name.
Brady, also a taxi driver, of Lot 59 Princes Street, who is accused of receiving a $204,000 television set, protested that he was not only brutalised by the police but had his life threatened.
His defence counsel, Mandisa Breedy said he is a married man with three children and asked that he be allowed to seek medical attention for the abuse he suffered.
David of Lot 10 Bent Street said he was forced down on his knees and beaten. The allegation against him is that on September 9 also, he received three flat screen television sets and three DVD players worth a total of $750,000.
While complaining that he was beaten by the police, David, who was unrepresented by a lawyer, told the court he has two young daughters who are five months and one year and six months old, respectively.
Police Sergeant Vishnu Hunt, prosecuting, objected to bail for the quartet, citing the value of the articles that were stolen and noting that not all of them were recovered.       He also referred to the penalty the offence attracts and the possibility that the defendants would not return for trial.
The magistrate then remanded the four fathers to prison until September 17 and ordered that they be granted medical attention.