Doctor, 30, pleads not guilty to DUI charge

A 30-year-old doctor assigned to the Port of Spain General Hospital was granted $20,000 own bail when she appeared in the Chaguanas Magistrates Court this afternoon charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Shashi Rajnarinesingh pleaded not guilty to the charge before Magistrate Wendy Dougdeen-Bally in the Chaguanas Second Magistrates Court.

She was represented by attorney Richard Jaggasar.

Rajnarinesingh was arrested around 11.20pm on Thursday after PC Cassie and another officer saw her parked along Mahoe Boulevard Edinburgh 500 and stopped to find out if she was ok.

Reports are Rajnarinesingh drove off and police followed her, stopping her a short distance away and asking her to submit to a breathalyser test.

Her breath sample gave a reading of 74 microgrammes, more than twice the legal 35 microgrammes legal limit.

She was taken to the Chaguanas Police Station where she was charged and later released on $500 own bail.

The court heard that Rajnarinesingh was placed on a two-year bond in 2017 for a 2016 charge of using obscene language.

Prosecutor Sgt Ranjitsingh asked Magistrate Dougdeen-Bally to recuse herself from hearing the case as she lives nearby Rajnarinesingh’s close relatives.

Dougdeen-Bally agreed and transferred the case to the Chaguanas Third Magistrates Court. The matter was then adjourned until August 8.