A bus driver and his conductor yesterday pleaded not guilty to unlawfully assaulting a policeman and were placed on $10,000 bail each.
Rawle Bruce, 24, of Lot 5 1st Street, Jonestown, Mahaica and his bus conductor, Kerwyn Lynch, 29, of Lot 23, Two Sisters Village, East Bank Demerara, were separately charged with three counts at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 5 yesterday.
The first charge against Bruce stated that on July 27th at Avenue of the Republic, he resisted doing what he was told to do by a Police Constable who was doing his duty. The second charge stated that on the same date and at the same location as the first charge, he unlawfully assaulted the Police Officer and the third charge read to him by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty stated that on the same date at the same location, Bruce behaved disorderly.
Bruce denied all three of the charges. In an application for bail, the Court was told that Bruce is the breadwinner of his four-person household and has never been convicted of any offence. He works his bus part-time and was doing just that on the day in question. The father of two was granted $10,000 bail each for the assault and resisting charges and $5,000 bail for the disorderly behaviour charge.
Lynch who works as a part-time conductor with Bruce was read three charges. The charges stated that on July 27th at the Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown, he unlawfully assaulted the same Police Officer. The second charge stated that he used threatening behaviour toward the Police Officer and lastly he also resisted commands by the officer. Lynch who pleaded not guilty to each count was granted $10,000 bail on the assault charge and the same figure for the resisting arrest charge. He was also granted $5,000 bail on the threatening behaviour charge.
Police prosecutor Seon Blackman had objected to the men being granted bail, citing the prevalence of the offence. He told the court that on the day in question the cop who is a traffic policeman, was performing his duty when he noticed that Bruce had his bus parked in the vicinity of a no stopping sign and he was collecting passengers there. The rank approached him and told him of the offence and then asked him to move. Bruce resisted and Lynch intervened by saying “they are not going anywhere”. Bruce, the court heard, also held up a screw driver to the Officer, who then arrested them both. They were taken to the Brickdam Police Station where they were both placed on $10,000 station bail.
The matter was adjourned to August 14th.
