BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IT has been far too long since many individuals who were exonerated of charges preferred against them have been suffering the humiliating affront of a system imposed by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF).
One such individual is Jevon Allen who, on Friday, August 14, 2009, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving but the charge was dropped at the preliminary inquiry (PI) held at the District ‘B’ Magistrate’s Court in Sandy Point in August 2010.
Speaking with a close relative of the young man, SKNVibes was told that Allen is currently overseas and “he had found it difficult at times to get jobs for which he is best at”.
“He is however currently employed but had found some degree of difficulty in the past. This was due to the fact that whenever he had applied at certain places for a job the employer would have Google his name and found that he has an albatross around his neck…the causing death by dangerous driving charge. This is a charge that was withdrawn five years ago but the article is still there on SKNVibes.com and a number of other online media houses, as well as on Facebook,” the relative said.
The relative however explained that Allen posseses a Police Certificate from the RSCNPF which he would have presented to employers as evidence of being exonerated from the charge he had faced.
Consequently, this media house made enquiries and even visited the Registry in Basseterre to ascertain that the charge was withdrawn.
And so was it!
This problem, like many others of similar nature, emanated from the RSCNPF.
The Force’s Public Relations Department normally issues press releases for media houses to disseminate to the public. Many of them would inform who were arrested, who were charged for various crimes they allegedly committed, and these would be accompanied by the mug shots.
If the charged individuals were convicted, the police would send further press releases indicating that, but they do not send releases when individuals are exonerated, especially at the PI hearings.
This practice has been in existence for quite some time and there is nothing the media can do, unless the affected persons seek out reporters and pass on the relevant information.
The fact is that media practitioners are not allowed in court to report on PIs as well as cases of rape and family matters. Therefore, it is advised that individuals who were affected and are still being affected, as in the case of Allen, the onus is on them to ask their attorneys to inform the media or do it themselves.
Allen, Mickhale Kelly and Devon Williams were jointly charged with causing death by dangerous driving in which the victim was Keith Brombill.
According to reports, on August 11, 2009, Brombill was working in a manhole on the Island’s Main Road in Sandy Point. However, on exiting the manhole, he was struck by a motorcar (R173) and died on the spot.
The vehicle was allegedly driven by Allen and he and the other two occupants fled the scene. He was subsequently charged on August 14, 2009 and the same charge was preferred against Kelly five days later. However, the authorities were in search of the third man, Williams.
According to the then Police PRO, Inspector Cromwell Henry, Williams was seen sometime later travelling in a passenger bus and was taken into custody and charged.
Like Allen, the charge against Kelly was withdrawn but Williams appeared in the Basseterre High Court High Court before His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas who found him guilty as charged and was fined EC$20 000 to be paid in two years. He was also given a two-year ban from driving.
