Insp Alexander freed of charge

MOMENTS after he was freed of a charge of assaulting a man over two years ago, ASP Roger Alexander said he is looking forward to working with Police Commissioner Gary Griffith.

Speaking with TV6 yesterday, Alexander who once hosted the Beyond the Tape television programme on that tv station, said he and his co-accused constable Sheldon Mires had been through a lot “in the past two years and 44 days” and he is eager to get back to work.

“At the end of the day, it is water under the bridge as far as we are concerned. We always knew victory would have been on our side. We are looking at the future, constable Mires and I will be looking at the future. We see the Commissioner of Police is out there working hard and we know all hands should be on deck and we are here willing and able to serve at a moment’s notice as soon as they are ready” Alexander said.

The two were charged with assaulting Christopher Charles in Santa Cruz in July 2016, causing him actual bodily harm. Mires was charged with Alexander for two similar offences arising out of the same incident. His charges alleged that he assaulted Charles by way of beating him and also committing common assault.

Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson and attorney Lee Merry represented Alexander, while Mires was represented by John Heath. The State was represented by assistant DPP Angelica Teelucksingh-Ramoutar and senior state attorney Mauricia Joseph.

Asked about his return to the police, Alexander said: “To be honest, I don’t think I ever left. When you are a person that the public trusts and understand, they will give you information and you just pass it on to the relevant authorities, and that was my role and function while I was out there.

“Of course we are excited to work with Police Commissioner Griffith. When you look at crime-fighting you don’t look at it from any one angle you look at it from many angles.” Alexander said he will leave it up to Griffith whether or not he will return to the daily television programme, adding that he is ready to take up any challenge.

The two were freed by Magistrate Nazim Khan who ruled that the State was unable to proceed with its case on multiple occasions. The State produced 24 witness statements and tendered them into evidence against the men. During the case, the State said it was troublesome to get in contact with three civilian witnesses, one of whom was Charles, who it was reported, said he would contact the state attorneys when he was ready to proceed.