Vendor in court for threatening to kill prosecutor

A MAN has been charged with threatening, on Sunday morning, to kill one of the police prosecutors in the San Fernando magistrates’ court.

Christon Jhagroop, 19, was arrested on Sunday morning at the National Agricultural Marketing Development Company market in Debe, south Trinidad. He was charged with threatening to kill PC Cleyon Seedan who prosecutes in the San Fernando first magistrate’s court.

Seedan is an attorney-at-law and one of the legal advisers to the police in San Fernando.

PC Elgin Coomansingh, who was off duty, charged Jhagroop, of San Francique Road, Penal, with threatening to kill Seedan, using obscene language, possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, resisting arrest and escaping lawful custody.

Except for the marijuana possession, Jhagroop pleaded guilty to the charges.

As Jhagroop stood in the dock on Monday, Seedan recused himself from prosecuting by stepping aside. Ramdath Phillip took over the prosecution of the cases against Jhagroop.

In the case of the marijuana, Connor told Jhagroop that he was allegedly found with the drug close to the Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College.

The charges arose from an incident in which Seedan was in the market at about 6.45 am. A man, who was selling, confronted him. The man shouted, “You is the prosecutor who jail meh? I go kill yuh today.”

Coomansingh, who was also shopping, intervened and called other police officers who were on duty.

Connor granted Jhagroop $50,000 bail or a cash alternative of $10,000. However, she transferred the case to the second court before another magistrate for October 21.