5 defendants beat gun, drug charges after evidence challenged

Three women and two men from central Trinidad have been freed of firearm and marijuana possession because of inconsistencies in the evidence presented by police officers.

Resse Jattan, Rhonda Jattan, Olivia Collis, Calvin Serrette, and Shivanie Bir were freed of the charges as their case after their case went to trial before Senior Magistrate Marissa Gomez on January 17.

The five were arrested after police allegedly executed a search warrant at Jattan's home in Longdenville, Chaguanas, in April 2022.

The group were allegedly found sitting in the living room and officers claimed they found a firearm with five rounds of ammunition and 10 packets of marijuana, weighing a total of 292 grammes, on a table in the room.

At the hearing, attorneys Shiva Boodoo, Taradath Singh, and Bhimal Maharajh objected to the police prosecutor's attempt to have the search warrant tendered into evidence.

They referred to the date on the document presented to the court (September 23, 2022) although their clients were arrested and charged in April 2022. The document, they argued, also suggested the search was done in November 2022, based on notations on it.

The attorneys also took issue with the packaging of the gun. Statements by the police suggested the gun was secured in an evidence box but it was presented to the court in an envelope.

Gomez did not allow police prosecutor Sgt Bain to submit the warrant or the firearm into evidence.

Bain then called on her to rule on the case after he admitted that his prospects of successfully prosecuting the case were severely hampered by his inability to utilise the evidence.

In dismissing the charges, Gomez commended Bain for the position he took. The group’s attorneys also praised the police prosecutor for his position.

The Jattans and Collis were represented by Boodoo, while Singh represented Serrette. Maharajh represented Bir.