AN intoxicated Staff Sergeant of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who was arrested for beating and choking a traffic policeman on Cornhill and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, on Thursday, was fined and placed on bail for several charges when he appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The GDF rank, who was caught on camera, was identified as Keron Joseph of 181 Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden. Joseph was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of assault of a peace officer, resisting arrest, use of indecent language, two counts of failing to produce his driver’s licence, uninsured motor vehicle, unlicenced motor vehicle, uncertified motor vehicle, driving under the influence and driving a vehicle with a prohibited level of tinted windscreen.

The court ordered Joseph to pay a total of $177,000 in fines for the aforementioned offences
Further, he pleaded not guilty to negligently interrupting the free flow of traffic and was placed on $50,000 bail. His trial will start on January 7, 2020. Joseph’s driver’s licence was also suspended for one year.

Reports indicated that around 17:00hrs on Thursday, Police Constable Giles, who was performing duties on Cornhill and Hadfield Streets, observed that a heavily-tinted motor car PSS 5836 came to a stop on the road, and, in the process, interrupted the free flow of traffic.
As a result, the traffic rank approached the driver and told him of the offence committed and asked him to produce his documents and the driver refused.
Subsequently, another traffic rank, Constable Cummings, a motorcyclist, who was in the vicinity at the time, went to Constable Giles to offer assistance. He also asked the driver to produce his documents to which he again refused.

Following the second refusal, Constable Cummings cautioned the driver and arrested him and in the process of affecting the arrest the driver assaulted him.
Two other occupants of the vehicle joined in and also assaulted the two cops.

The cops summoned assistance and the perpetrators were arrested and taken to the Brickdam Police Station where the driver of the car gave his name as Keron Joseph and stated that he was a Staff Sergeant (Guyana People’s Militia) but still did not produce any documents.

A breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver and his two relatives which showed that they were all above the prescribed limit of 35 per cent.
Last month, Kester Bowen, 25, a Lance Corporal of the GDF was granted bail in the sum of $20,000 for assaulting a police constable.

Bowen was also caught on camera beating a constable identified as Wilson. The constable had reportedly instructed him to ‘pull over’ his car after he switched lanes and caused a major traffic congestion along the Meer-Zorgen Public Road on the Western side of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.