POLICE officers are mandated to protect and serve, placing persons who find themselves on the wrong side of the law before the courts.

However, many of these officers are finding themselves in hot water, handcuffed and placed before the very courts for engaging in various criminal activities.

The Guyana Chronicle has compiled a list of some matters engaging the attention of the courts and involving members of the Guyana Police Force. They have been charged with offences ranging from murder, attempted murder, rape, attempted rape, fraud, bribery, corruption, wounding, causing death by dangerous driving, etc.

MURDER
Constable Robert Daniels is currently charged for the murder of Brazilian miner Estevao Costa Marques, whom he allegedly shot and killed with his service weapon at Puruni, Region Seven, August 11, 2018.  He is currently on remand and is undergoing a preliminary inquiry (PI) for the capital offence at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

RAPE
Constable Dillon Crandon was charged for raping an 18-year-old Special Constable on February 10, 2018, at John’s Hotel, Werk-en-Rust. He allegedly engaged in sexual penetration with a female against her will. He was released on $150,000 bail.
It was reported that Crandon and the teen booked in at a hotel around 03:45 hrs, reportedly after a night out together. However, the victim alleged that the accused had sexual intercourse with her against her will.
Police Constable Mark Otto was charged for raping a 15-year-old girl during May 2017, at Roxanne Burnham Gardens. He is out on $250,000 bail.
According to reports, the teen and the police officer were involved in a relationship and after her parents found out, they reported the matter to the police.

BRIBERY

Traffic Officers Chris Brown and Mark Collins are charged with corruptly obtaining from Iyana Huston the sum of $10,000 on December 7, 2017, at Ruimveldt Police Station, while being an agent of the State as an inducement or reward for foregoing to charge Dwayne Dover with a traffic offence.
Police constables were caught during a sting operation after Huston recorded the serial numbers of the monetary notes and gave the information to a police sergeant.

FRAUD

Sergeant Alfred Park, Corporal Ryan Gray and Woman Corporal Shanice Fraser are charged with forging several questionnaires of the Learner Driver Theoretical Examination.
It is alleged that on April 12, 2018, at the Felix Austin Police College, Georgetown, the trio conspired with others to forge 51 questionnaires of persons who did not write the examinations.
Parks is out on $1.2M bail for forging 13 questionnaires. Gray was slapped with 20 counts of forgery and was granted $160,000 bail, while Fraser was charged with 18 counts and was

released on $150,000 bail.

CORRUPTION

Constable John Holder is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice by deviating from his police statement dated May 13, 2018, in the case involving the Police vs Maryann Daby between August 10 and October 2, 2018 at Georgetown. He is out on $200,000 bail after denying the charge.

Holder was placed under close arrest after giving his testimony in court before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, who was presiding over the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) against Daby.
The detective, in his testimony at the PI, told the court that he had lied in a police statement he made to support a colleague, Christopher Kissoon, who is the victim in the matter.

LARCENY
Constable John Small was charged for stealing a businesswoman’s cellphone from her store at Double ‘D’ Mall, situated at Charity Public Road. The matter was dismissed after the woman refused to give evidence in court. Small was arrested after he was caught on CCTV footage stealing the woman’s phone and exiting the building.

Constable Cornell Paul is charged for stealing a .38 special revolver, a holster, 5rand six .38 rounds, value of $235,750  from the Guyana Police Force on February 3rd, 2018, at Impact Base, Brickdam Police Station. He is currently out on $150,000 bail.

WOUNDING

Corporal Rondell Gouveia is currently out on $150,000 bail for unlawfully wounding the mother of his child, Candace Younge, on June 8, 2018, at Sophia.
According to reports, Gouveia and Younge lived together and he was caught red-handed stealing $100USD. She confronted the man over a missing US$100 and he became annoyed. The court heard that he allegedly verbally abused her and dealt her several cuffs and kicks about her body.

Woman constable Cassandra Boucher is charged for throwing battery acid on her ex-boyfriend after he accused her of infidelity.
Boucher had denied that on November 7, 2018 at Camp Street and North Road, Georgetown she unlawfully and maliciously wounded Anthony Paul, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm.

Boucher and Paul shared a two-year relationship. She said Paul discovered that the defendant was pregnant and requested a DNA test, since he had allegedly caught her cheating with the father of her children.

On the day in question, Boucher was in a motor car with Paul when she pulled out a bottle and threw the battery acid melting the left side of his face. She is out on $300,000 bail after pleading not guilty to the charge.

CAUSING DEATH BY DANGEROUS DRIVING

Deputy Superintendent of Police Patrick Todd is currently out on $250,000 bail for causing the death of a 64-year-old pedal cyclist Conrad Alleyne, who died during a fatal accident on the Boerasirie Bridge, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on September 12, 2018. Todd was also charged for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Corporal Errol Rowney is currently out on $500,000 bail for driving motor car PTT 2200 in a dangerous manner on  May 20, 2017, at Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice, which resulted in the death of Errol Nicholson.

Constable Ryan Persaud is out on $250,000 bail for causing the death of Akeem Anthony, who was killed during an accident along the Nelson Mandela Public Road in September.

It is alleged that on September 1, 2018, at Nelson Mandela Public Road, the cop drove the Guyana Police Force minibus PVV 4652 in a manner dangerous to the public and resulted in the death of the civilian.

DANGEROUS DRIVING

Police Constable Wellon Carr was charged with Dangerous Driving in relation to an incident which occurred on May 22, 2018 on the De Hoop Public Road, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, which resulted in extensive damage to force vehicle PWW 5411. He was released on $40,000 bail.