The eyewitness to the alleged murder of Damion Lindore who was found dead on May 26 on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway was yesterday charged with giving false information to the police and placed on $30,000 bail by acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
Collin Martin, 20, of 169 Middle Road, La Penitence Sideline Dam pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him by the magistrate. It is alleged that on June 2 at the Criminal Investigation Department, Eve Leary, he gave to a police corporal information in writing knowing it to be false and knowing that this would cause him to use his lawful powers which would cause injury and annoyance to Harold De Vieira and others which he ought not to do if the true state of the facts in respect of such information were known to him.
He was represented by attorney Nigel Hughes who told the court that his client has no antecedent and was a witness to an event in which a person died as a result of a car accident. Further, he said that his client saw Lindore beaten by others including a police rank and later learnt that he was found dead.
Hughes said that prior to the accident, Lindore was taken to a spot along the highway where Martin witnessed the beating. The attorney said that afterwards Lindore was found dead on the road. He added that his client indicated to the police what he had seen.
However, he said that Martin was forced to recant his statement based on threats he had received. Hughes noted that the post-mortem performed on Lindore’s body in the first instance found that he had died as a result of multiple injuries. A second autopsy was performed and it found that the injuries he sustained were not consistent with a road accident.
Hughes said that because of safety concerns, Martin has been housed at a number of undisclosed locations. He then applied for reasonable bail to be granted.
Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford did not object to bail.
Bail was then granted and the matter adjourned to August 20 in Court Two.
Questions had been raised by relatives and close friends of Lindore following his death on the highway. Reports reaching the family indicated that Lindore called ‘Pointer’ had collided with a dog in the vicinity of Silver Hill on the highway which resulted in him being thrown from the car. He is said to have died on the spot while the other passenger in the car, Kemol McAlmont, escaped with just a few scratches. Lindore, 23, was said to have been behind the wheel of his black Toyota Allion HB 8153 at the time of the accident.
It is believed that cash in excess of $700,000 and a quantity of jewellery were carted off. His girlfriend had contended that there were no visible blood stains in the car consistent with a smash-up.
McAlmont was re-arrested with a police rank after a statement was given by another man who said he had witnessed Lindore’s death. The sources said that he had escaped into the bush in an area along the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway after the police rank had started beating Lindore. The man who provided the statement to the police said that Lindore was dead prior to the crashing of the car.
