Twenty four year old Leroy Gomez, who beat four cases of rape, got into an altercation with the police today on the verandah off the Magistrate Court building while he was being escorted to the cellblock. It happened after he and five others were remanded into custody, having being charged with burglary and handling stolen goods for a series of burglaries. Gomez, it appeared to observers, attempted to get-away from the police and after putting up a fight he was subdued. But today his sister came to our studios to give her brother's side of the story. According to her, he was being chanced by police and at no point was he trying to escape.
Shalini Patterson, Sister of Leroy Gomez
"Leroy and Julia were charged for handling stolen goods but when Leroy got beaten up on Saturday the judge was granting him bail. When he was getting bail and not Julia Welch (who had a young baby) he (Leroy) asks the judge if she could give Julia the bail instead of him because she just has a young baby for him but the judge didn't really follow up on it and told him that the case is close."
"When Leroy was walking out the court now one of the officers pushes Leroy out the door. It seems that two of them were talking but I see clearly when the officer push and kick Leroy. I told the judge because I was still inside the court but I still could have seen it when they walk through the back door. I told her ma'am the officer is beating my brother but she and the prosecutor pretend like they didn't hear me so I come out of the court and I went over the other side. I saw the police officer choking Leroy and kick him. They choke and beat him on the verandah."
"It doesn't matter what he had done but no police officer should beat anyone like that because if they have a brother or a sister - they wouldn't want someone to do them that. The police had already beat him near his private parts, the police officer told me that if I continue talking he would throw me off the verandah."
Monica Bodden
"People are saying that Leroy may have tried to escape."
Shalini Patterson, Sister of Leroy Gomez
"No, he had on handcuffs. Why didn't he escape the first time that they went to his house on Wednesday? The officer was there on Wednesday night when they went for him. He (Leroy) let them search his house and when they were bringing him in a police officer choke and slap him - that was the first beating that he got. Then on Saturday he calls my mom and says that they beat him and he is in pain. He couldn't sit down in court and the judge asks what has happen to him and he told the judge that his private was swollen up because the police had beaten him. The judge didn't say anything; she just said that she will grant him bail. That's all. When we went to the bail area, they say that the judge didn't grant any of them bail and that all of them were to go jail."
Gomez and four others were charged with the burglary of the house of Kim Burgess, which occurred on June 1. The others included 21 year old Benva Andrews, 27 year old Taletha Cruickshank, 20 year old Kenisha McCauley and 21 year old Ernest Staine. Julia Welch, who is Gomez's girlfriend, was charged along with him for 3 counts handling stolen goods for items that were stolen during two burglaries.
Andrews, Staine and Cruickshank were charged with handling stolen goods for items stolen during the burglary of the residence of Andrew Young. Items were also recovered from the burglaries of the residences of Marisol Martinez and Dominga Martinez. The prosecution objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the offences and that the investigation is still on going.
None of the accused persons gave good reasons why they should be granted bail. They were remanded into custody until July 13.
