Woman found not guilty of kicking policeman

A SAN Juan woman was yesterday found not guilty of slapping and kicking a police officer during the execution of a search warrant at her home in 2014.

Joanne Worrell, of Don Miguel Trace, was before Magistrate Rehanna Ali in the Port of Spain Third Court, charged with assaulting PC Clint Dass, of the North Eastern Division Task Force (NEDTF), and resisting arrest.

The alleged incident took place on March 14, 2014.

According to the prosecution’s case, at about 5 pm, Dass and a team of officers from the NEDTF

executed a warrant for drugs at Worrell’s home.

Dass, who testified at the summary trial, alleged that when he showed her the warrant, she became aggressive and slapped him.

As she did so, she fell and Dass claimed he helped her to get up when she began to kick him repeatedly.

She was later arrested.

In her defence, Worrell said the police officers did not show her a warrant and she began to remonstrate, telling them they could not conduct a search of her home without one,

She said she was slapped across the face by the officer and he arrested her as she threatened to make him lose his job.

Presented as evidence to the court were medical reports for both Dass and Worrell. Her medical showed she had injuries to her face.

In dismissing the charges against Worrell, the magistrate said she had doubts of the prosecution’s evidence.

Worrell was represented by attorneys Kelston Pope and Devvon Williams while the case was prosecuted by Cpl Forbes.