A man and woman who were charged with having over a kilo and a half of marijuana for trafficking are claiming that the police, clad in plain clothes, removed the door from their house and forcefully searched their premises while they were made to sit outside.
It is alleged that Hubert Nathaniel Bartholomew, 45, and Rushelle Gittens, 27, on August 22nd, at Howes Street, Charlestown, were found with 1.550 kilogrammes of cannabis in their possession for trafficking.
Bartholomew and Gittens both pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were arraigned in a Georgetown court yesterday.
Attorney Peter Hugh, who represented the two, told the court that in the wee hours of the morning on August 22nd, persons in plain clothes removed the door of the house where Gittens and Bartholomew reside. When the defendants began to protest, they were forced to leave the premises and sit in a minibus, while a search was conducted. During the course of the search, cellphones, cash and gold were allegedly removed from the property, he added.
Hugh made a plea for bail, while noting that neither had any previous convictions, nor were they ever involved in any matters. He further stated that his clients would not be afforded a speedy trial and furthermore, the situation at the house, being one of multiple occupancy, would make it difficult for the prosecutors to prove the guilt of his clients.
But Prosecutor Deniro Jones objected to bail being granted to the defendants and told the court that the facts he had received differed in content from what had been earlier related by Hugh.
Jones stated that according to the police report, a search was conducted at the couple’s house, where they were found attempting to flush the drugs down the toilet. He further stated that the search was conducted in both defendants’ presence.
Magistrate Ann McLennan denied bail to the defendants and ordered Bartholomew and Gittens to be remanded to prison until their next court hearing on September 14th. Upon hearing the magistrate’s announcement, Gittens collapsed in court, inconsolable, and Bartholomew broke down crying.
Family members informed the media that Gittens, who is a Canadian citizen, was scheduled to leave the country on September 8th with her son.
