Cops in $500k gays blackmail case mentioned in St Catherine court

This old cartoon from the Jamaica Observer's Clovis says it and then some about corruption in the force

One of two St Catherine gay men blackmail cases involving the police was heard in a Spanish Town court two days ago. I am all too familiar with some of the details emerging in this matter as my own November 1996 matter where myself and three other co-accused were in the wrong place at the wrong time in public where we were approached by cops who we subsequently found out were summoned by others on the site who thought we as males were involved in sexual activity, when no such evidence was there (apart from myself and my friend only dressed in our shorts as no sex was taking place) the cops decided to humiliate us by taking us to the nearest station and then to other precincts.

Then when the charges of gross indecency and buggery after the doctor’s examination were laid one of my co-accused was approached by individual cops to pay over a sum in exchange for making the charges disappear despite that the matter was scheduled for a preliminary hearing days after and the tabloids had our story splashed across their front pages. The success rate of such attempts is high I have since learned as persons choose to take the risk to avoid embarrassment and a charge sticking on their police records which can have an impact on job seeking or applying for tertiary education as well surprisingly at certain campuses.

I am only guessing what the two men involved in this current matter maybe thinking or feeling, thankfully they had the assistance of the corruption prevention agency to intervene and arrest the cops, in my case we had no such avenues for redress openly as such a case would have become material for humiliation and jokes by officers.

The cops accused in the present matter are Corporal Tyrone Harvey and Constables Lamore Small & Fabian Durrant of the Portmore police station allegations are that on January 27, 2013 at about 3:30am the policemen were on patrol along the Hellshire main road in the parish of St Catherine when they came into sight of what appeared to be two men in a compromising position in a car in a wooded area. The lawmen threatened to charge the men with gross indecency and demanded $500,000.00 to not arrest them, they were allegedly given a portion of the money and arrangements were made to collect the balance of the money. A report was made to the anti-corruption branch and following investigations the men were arrested, they were charged following a ruling by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP. The case is to be mentioned today, I hope the men involved are prepared to go all the way with this one, we saw for example the University of Technology beating matter died in the water as the victim never turned up for court and then the guards accused were eventually freed for lack of prosecution.

The stronger charge of buggery apparently was not done as it seems a doctor’s examination was not done or as part of the deal the cops may have delayed that process to prove there was anal sex by one or both parties, usually the penetrator and not the ‘penetratee’ is charged with the stronger charge while the latter is left with a gross indecency one where a fine is usually the outcome once found guilty. The doctor’s report has to find certain things present such as the sphincter muscle being loose due to forced entry of some kind and spermatozoa cells possibly present in or around the anal orifice which can be problematic as some kinds of anal play via finger can also cause the transfer of such materials, a non-penile entry session where the hands of one partner can transfer unknowingly spermatozoa to another by simply touching the urethra (head of the penis) then to the anus or anal opening as such biological materials are invisible to the naked eye.

My case also benefitted from our stick-to-itiveness as we attended all hearing dates, made sure we were dressed appropriately, answered questions when asked by the judge(s) even in the face of humiliation and jokes made by some of them sadly but I understand the lack of interest after a time as our creaking court systems would make disillusionment set in easily when we are used to seeing court proceedings in other jurisdictions namely the US via cable moving much faster and judges with alacrity. Other blackmail allegations by police seem to have fizzled or died away or get drowned out by other more pressing matters that appear on the horizon hence the follow up or updates is shoddy.

A sine die adjournment (can be re-called up in 7 years if new evidence is found) or a full throw out may occur here seeing the charge cannot stick as the cops were caught. Adjournment sine die (from the Latin "without day") means "without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing"

A word to the wise is sufficient as I had done when this case first broke, on my Facebook profile and in my main group GLBTQ Jamaica Chat I advised that while we cannot tell persons where to have their fun as outdoor sex is required sometimes for purposes of convenience and financial inability to rent a good hotel room persons need to be mindful where they go for not only police interference but possibility of robbery and murders. Only on Monday April 20th a reported matter in St Catherine also a gunman attempted to relieve a man of his laptop after he was seeking to connect to a free WIFI service, his friend was also present and they allegedly kissed prior to the miscreant’s arrival where he also used the blackmail strategy so as to gain material value illegally. The men managed to fight him off as it was soon discovered that the gun was not loaded based on the mannerisms of the attacker and his emphasis on bravado and loquaciousness than the apparent pain of murder. He rode off uttering threats that he will kill them next time, the matter was brought to the attention of the regular patrol corps that passes through the community. 

The accused are to return to court in two months time.

Think on these things.

Be safe out there brothers (and sisters as butch identified women also face some similar challenges)

Peace and tolerance

H