The following article was first published in the Trinidad And Tobago Guardian on Thursday 11th October, 2019.
You can read the entire article on their website HERE.
A heavy equipment operator of Valencia has sued the State over the actions of a group of police officers, who allegedly denied him a telephone call to a relative and communication with his attorney when he was arrested in July.
In his lawsuit, filed in the Port-of-Spain High Court on Tuesday, lawyers representing David Sanchez, of Cumaca Road, Valencia, claimed that his constitutional rights were infringed by the officers’ alleged conduct.
According to Sanchez’s fixed date claim form, he was arrested in Wallerfield for allegedly engaging in illegal mining on July 16, 2019.
Sanchez spent several days in police custody before he was eventually charged and taken to court. Sanchez pleaded not guilty to the offence and was released on bail. The charge is still pending.
In his lawsuit, Sanchez’s lawyers Matthew Gayle and Jason Jones alleged that when they attempted to visit their client at the Cumuto Police Station, they were denied access to him.
They alleged that during the period someone, who falsely claimed to be Sanchez’s lawyer, attempted to speak to him.
“I had never seen this person before and I have not seen him since…He informed me that someone had sent him to see me to find out what had happened and what I had told the police,” Sanchez said in his affidavit.
Sanchez also claimed that he suffered emotional trauma from being denied access to his family and attorneys.
“I can confidently say that restlessness and fear that I felt having been detained for four days in Cumuto without charge would have been significantly less had I been allowed to see him in the cells and take legal advice,” Sanchez said.
Through his lawsuit, Sanchez is seeking declarations over the officers’ conduct as well as compensation for the alleged breaches of his constitutional rights.
Sanchez’s case is expected to come up for hearing, later this month.
