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Kwame McCoy walks free in second assault matter
…victim a no show
As Natalie Ross, the victim in the second assault case against Information and Press Liaison to the President Kwame McCoy failed to present herself at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the second time, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday dismissed the criminal matter against the government official.
Kwame McCoy
McCoy walked free after the court ordered the prosecution to close its case and Attorney-at-law Jaya Manikchand submitted that there was no case for him to answer.
Yesterday was set for the prosecution to present Ross so that the woman could confirm or deny a letter presented to the court by McCoy on the last occasion. According to McCoy, Ross reportedly wrote a letter to the Director of Public Prosecution stating that she no longer wanted to continue the case against the state agent.
That could not be confirmed since checks at the office of the DPP proved that the Director was on annual leave and she could not be reached. The staffers at the Director’s office could not confirm the letter.
The Court thus ordered the prosecution to have Ross present in court to make the connection with the letter. The assault victim was still a no show since the police said she could not be reached. The court thus ordered that the matter against McCoy get on the way.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Denise Griffith was the first and only witness on the stand. She testified to receiving the report of the alleged assault and what actions she later took. Her evidence was based on procedures during the investigation.
The court then ordered the prosecution to close its case. It was given enough time to get witnesses and the victim present in court, the magistrate noted.
Manickchand who took the place of Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos said that there was no evidence to suggest that McCoy was guilty of any offence committed against Ross. She said that the police have a duty to prove that McCoy was guilty of the offence but they had not made a Prima Facie case against her client. The lawyer thus asked for the case to be dismissed and the court upheld the request.
Last year October, McCoy reportedly struck Ross with his Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Reports were that the two persons ended up in an argument pertaining to their political positions. It is alleged that McCoy got into his vehicle and directly hit the woman with his car, causing her to receive overnight medical attention at the City’s Public hospital.
Prior to this matter McCoy paid a $70,000 fine after he was found guilty of assaulting another person under the same circumstances as Ross.
The government official was fined $20,000 for threatening Clifton Stewart; telling him that he was a marked man. McCoy was also fined $50,000 for gun-butting Stewart after he objected to the Government agent’s actions while erecting photos of his Presidential candidate during last year’s election.
Stewart ended up in an argument with McCoy. He was followed and provoked before being assaulted.
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