Shooting at Club Privilege…Charge against employees for deleting CCTV footage thrown out

Apr 29, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

The failure of Police Corporal Gary Gordon to show up in court has resulted in a case being dismissed. Gordon was the main witness in the trial of Keisha Phillips, Ronald O’Brien and Andre Rochford, all employees of Tower Suites/Club Privilege,
The case was thrown out by City Magistrate Judy Latchman on Thursday.
The trio was charged with tampering with surveillance footage of a shooting incident that occurred at Club Privilege. It had been alleged that on January 8, at Main Street, Georgetown they willfully attempted to obstruct the course of justice, by deleting Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage depicting a shooting incident, which took place on that same day.
Phillips is a General Manager; Rochford, Manager of Club Privilege and O’Brien, a technician.
Police Prosecutor, Shawn Gonsalves, had told the court that Corporal Gordon went to Club Privilege on the day in question and spoke with Rochford and Phillips. Gonsalves said that the police rank requested to have CCTV footage from the night club and was told by the two that they were not able to give it out. According to the prosecutor, Rochford and Phillips told Corporal Gordon that only the technician could grant them their request.
The court was told by Gonsalves that the police rank left and went back to the club later in the day to view the CCTV footage, and it was discovered that some of it had been deleted.
During the trial, Corporal Gordon who is attached to the Intelligence Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, had recounted visiting the Night
Club. Upon his arrival, he said he met with Corporal Eastman and Sergeant Williams, both crime scene detectives. The police witness had told the court that he and the other police ranks explained to Rochford that they were there to conduct investigation in relation to a report of a shooting incident.
Corporal Gordon said that Rochford led them to his office where he told them that he would have to seek permission to gain access to the video surveillance room. According to the witness, Rochford escorted him and the other police ranks to the Restaurant Area where they were introduced to Phillips, and again explained the reason for their visit and the urgency in acquiring the footage.
Corporal Gordon said that he requested to gain access to the video surveillance room and Phillips informed him that she would like to have her technician present, since she did not possess the password to gain access to the footage.
“Sergeant Williams again explained the importance of gaining access to the surveillance room. The number three defendant (Phillips) stated that she will have to get on to the technician and began calling him.” Corporal Gordon continued, “She (Phillips) made contact with someone and related to us (police ranks) that the technician will be back after 4pm.”
He recalled that the crime scene investigators visited the club area, but because of the lighting conditions much work was not done. He added that after placing several phone calls the general manager was given a password.
Phillips of Republic Park East Bank Demerara, Rochford of Lot 28 Victoria Street, Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago and O’Brien of D’Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust had each been released on $700,000 bail pending trial.

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