Court documents released to the local media have revealed that a number of police officers and prison officials are to attend the Magistrate’s Court in November to answer to a battery of charges ranging from grievous bodily harm to attempted murder.

They are to appear in court courtesy of civil charges brought against them civilians who said while in their custody they were allegedly physically abused by the law enforcers and prison officials.

The court named the police officers as Sergeant Nigel Gilkes, Tomiko Glinton, Woman Constables Sherri Smith, Desiree Forbes and Kishma Adams. The prison officers, according to court documents are: Raymond Grant, Williams Dickenson, Jean Claude Demours, Andrew Monzie and Andrew Ellis. 

When contacted, a police source the police officers and prison officials were not charged by the authority, but members of the public who claimed that their rights were being violated, referring to the procedure as civil charges.

The police source said it is not unusual for members of the public to bring civil charges against police officers since the law makes provision for such undertaking, and from time to time, such discourse has taken place in the TCI. According to the court documents, Gilkes is accused of wounding with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The charges are filed under section 10 and 27 respectively of the Against the Persons Ordinance 28.

The complainant in the case is Jermaine Reid. In the wounding with intent allegation against the police sergeant, Reid alleged that on April 29, while at the Providenciales Police Station, Gilkes unlawfully and maliciously wounded him with intent and caused grievously bodily harm. In the other allegation, he alleged that on the same day, the police man carried out malicious assault against him resulting in actual bodily harm. He is to attend court on Monday, November 16.

Constable Glinton is to answer to charges from two individuals – Michael Pestano, another of the men who was implicated in the Amanyara Resort robbery but was acquitted on appeal and a woman, Arelle Julien. Julien also brought assault charges against Smith, Forbes and Adams. Those matters are also set for Monday, November 16 in the Magistrate’s Court.

Prison officers Grant, Monzie, Dickenson, Ellis and Nemours are to answer to attempted murder, conspiracy to attempt murder, conspiracy to inflict bodily harm, conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to wound with intent, conspiracy to inflict grievously bodily harm, conspiracy to assault occasioning actually bodily harm, wounding with intent, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grievous bodily harm. Reid is also the complainant in these matters.

Reid alleged that on February 8, 2008, while an inmate at Her Majesty’s Prison Grand Turk, Ellis and Nemours acting with Grant, Monzie and Dickenson attempted to murder him by beating him, then dragged in a solitary cell and left him without food and water.

He alleged that other prisoners, including Pestano, Kingsly Arthur, Lamar Griffith, Akishna Arthur and Anthony McPherson bore witness to the incident.