'Flowers' on mend after stabbing

JUST before a man stabbed an off-duty policeman in the neck on Saturday, he began to curse and expressed his dislike of the police.

The suspect, a construction worker who lives in Siparia, remains in custody, and faces several charges.

The injured constable, Sterling "Flowers" Martin, has been discharged from the San Fernando General Hospital, where he had emergency surgery on his neck. He works with the Guard and Emergency Branch in San Fernando and lives in Siparia.

A report said around 3.30 pm on Saturday, Martin was talking to a former policeman and another man at the Busy Corner Bar on Coora Road, Siparia. Martin saw the suspect cursing a woman and acting violently. He walked up to the man, identified himself as a policeman, and tried to quell the situation.

However, the suspect became enraged when the policeman held his arm to arrest him for using obscene language and behaving in a disorderly manner. The report said the suspect pulled away and continued cursing Martin while expressing his dislike of thepolice.

The suspect broke a glass bottle from the bar and stabbed Martin in the left side of his face and neck.

Siparia police were contacted and arrested the suspect.

Martin was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility and later transferred to the hospital.

Cpl Sookoo is leading investigations.