RELATIVES of Colwyn Harding have been waiting since late last year for justice to be served in relation to the abuse he reportedly suffered at the hands of police ranks, while he was in custody at the Timehri Police Station.And yesterday two police constables appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry charged with assaulting Harding while he was in their custody. The matter was not read aloud in the court yesterday.

Constable Devin Singh and woman constable Roslyn Tilbury-Douglas were jointly charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. In addition, Singh alone was charged with common assault.
For the first offence of assault causing actual bodily harm the two police officers were placed on $100,000 bail each while Singh was placed on another $100,000 bail for the common assault charge which was read to him alone.
Following the conclusion of the day’s proceedings, the two accused never left the courtroom until approximately one and half hours after the magistrate.
The hesitation came about through the presence of the media in the court compound as reporters tried to get a shot of the two ranks.
After all efforts to thwart the intentions of the reporters proved futile, the number two accused Tilbury eventually ventured out of the courtroom with her head covered while her lawyer Leslie Sobers walked very closely in front of her.
Meanwhile, the number one accused Singh exited the court house thinking that the entire media core was at the front of the compound.
However, after realising that some reporters were still present at the entrance to the courtroom he sprinted down the stairs, jumped from the stairway platform into the yard, scaled the Magistrates’ Court fence and darted up Brickdam into the Brickdam Police Station.
Before making his way into the station, the man attempted to hail several passing minibuses and taxis but none heeded him as media operatives followed him in hot pursuit.
Shortly after his entrance into the Brickdam Police Station his attorney showed up and entered the compound where he reportedly had a word with him.
The Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority had indicated to the Guyana Chronicle that he had recommended criminal charges against two police officers in the Colwyn Harding matter, while departmental charges were recommended for the six other ranks fingered in the assault and abuse of the young man.
Harding was reportedly assaulted and sodomised by Devin Singh with the use of a police baton while in custody at the Timehri Police Station.
He was not immediately taken to seek medical attention after complaining of his pains but was later admitted in a serious condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital. He was subsequently flown out of the country for additional medical attention for what was later determined to be a ruptured intestine.

(By Leroy Smith )