Bail for man charged with stealing police van

JADHI WILLIAMS, 29, of Claxton Bay, was granted $100,000 bail this morning in the San Fernando Magistrates' Court charged with stealing a police van last Wednesday.

Magistrate Jo-Anne Connor allowed him an alternative cash bail of $30,000 on four charges, the first of which was that on the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, Claxton Bay, he stole a Toyota RAV4, valued $350,000,the property of the TT Police Service.

The charge stemmed from an incident in which PCs Rocky Mohammed and Alvin Vincent parked the marked police van and were walking towards two vehicles involved in an accident.

They looked back and saw the van being driven away. It was later found abandoned at Old Train Line, St Margaret's Village.

The incident happened at about 9 am.

With his head bandaged, Williams stood in the dock while Connor read three other charges that he stole cell phones belonging to Mohammed and Vincent, valued $2,700.

Police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan, told Connor Williams has several previous criminal convictions and is on bail for an offence he allegedly committed in January.

Asked about the bandage on his head, Williams told Connor he suffers from seizures and recently came out of hospital for a chop wound to the head. He accused police of beating him when he tried to escape their custody on Wednesday.

Of the incident, Williams said, "I jump in the van and drove off with the van."

The magistrate entered not-guilty pleas and ordered Williams, as a condition of bail, to report to the St Margaret's Police Station once a week.

He is to reappear on May 6.