On Friday four men walked out of the Magistrate’s Court free and clear after drug trafficking charges against them were thrown out because the case file was not presented and the arresting officer was not in court. It sure looks like the sign of a justice system in shambles, but today that officer came to us saying that it's not on him if the system is failing. Constable Brentford Longsworth, who is currently under interdiction, says it not that he didn't want to appear, rather he was never notified.
PC Brentford Longsworth,
“I heard of the case that I charged four in Hattieville for two counts of drug trafficking and the case was struck out due to the fact that no case file was submitted by my self and I failed to appear at the Magistrate’s Court for the case. The fact is that I handed over the case file and I have evidence to show that I handed over the case file from the 22nd of March 2004 and I was not duly summoned by any personnel from the Police Department pertaining to this case. I went and did a personal check and this court return dated the 23/12/03 shows that the case was dismissed because a message was sent saying no case file and the arresting officer was summoned but he didn’t appear. That is not true because as you can see no summons was sent to me and I never had information that this case was to go on trial.”
Alfonso Noble,
Who failed do you think?
PC Brentford Longsworth,
“I would like to say it is within the police department. Somewhere along the line, maybe it is the prosecution branch or from the officer who received the case file, someone failed. But this is another X beside my name and it has been placing my character into question. I am a very well known person in Belize, or throughout the whole country of Belize, and this malicious slander upon radio and television about my name is really causing an effect personally upon me and on my family.”
The charge was for the trafficking of over 500 gram more than a pound of marijuana found at a home in Hattieville in December of 2003.