Ex Minister arrested and placed on $200k bail for urinating alongside fence

Jul 27, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

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Kaieteur News – Police on Wednesday arrested former government minister David Patterson for allegedly exposing his genitals to a Kitty family last week.

Kaieteur News was told by police that the Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) was “wanted for questioning in relation to exposing his genitals. Exposing of genitals is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act. According to police, Patterson turned himself to police on Wednesday in the company of his lawyer. “At the police station, Mr Patterson was told of the allegation made against him by a member of the public and promptly arrested”, police stated.

The ex-minister was released on $200,000 as police continue their investigation against him. He expected to return for questioning today. “The probe continues and upon completion, the file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP Shalimar Ali Hack SC.) for legal advice”. Police said. Allegations of indecent exposure by Patterson first surfaced on Facebook. A cell phone recorded video of Patterson urinating on a fence in Kitty; Georgetown was uploaded and went viral. A man heard in the background cursing the former minister and calling him disrespectful. Kaieteur News understands that a Kitty family had confronted Patterson about urinating on their property.  Patterson had left but returned to urinate again at the same spot and ended up in an argument with the family. It is alleged that Patterson showed them his “middle finger” and waved his genitals at them before leaving. Following the allegations the former Minister stated on his Facebook page, “Weekend beers at my local roadside bar, had a close encounter with a “family” in Kitty which left them traumatised. Apparently the “family” needed some free advertisement, business slow – so folks, drop in anytime, relief guaranteed. Have a great weekend folks!”

Bail too high

Meanwhile, Patterson’s lawyer, Ronald Daniels said that he accompanied the Member of Parliament to the station. Daniels said the police had visited Patterson’s home on Tuesday and requested his attendance at the station to answer an allegation. “The allegation was put to him and he exercised his constitutional right to remain silent. He is alleged to have ‘intentionally exposed his genitals’ by urinating at a certain location and using expletives when confronted by the proprietor,” Daniels said in his statement posted on his facebok page. “We attended the station just after 2:00 p.m. and the interview (though short) concluded at 4:00 p.m. The interview was conducted by the investigating rank who is one of the very senior and decorated police officers whom I have a good measure of respect for. He reported to his senior at the close of the interview for instructions on next step. There was a series of back and forth phone calls relative to MP Patterson while there. His senior instructed that MP Patterson be placed on bail in the sum of $200,000. I inquired who the senior was and engaged him. I alerted him that the quantum of bail is gravely out of proportion to the circumstances. This is essentially an allegation of indecent exposure and obscene language made against MP Patterson by the proprietor of a business place. Even if MP Patterson is charged for the commission of this offence, no court with a sense of justice and an appreciation of the chief consideration in granting bail would put MP Patterson on bail in this sum,” the lawyer detailed in his statement.

Daniels said the chief consideration in granting bail is whether the accused person would submit himself to the jurisdiction of the police (in the case of station bail) or the court once the accused is before the court. Other considerations, he said are whether the accused has a criminal past, is likely to interfere with witnesses, is a flight risk, whether the offence is of a serious nature, etc.

“These are by no means serious offences on the graduating scale of offences. MP Patterson submitted himself to the police without a conventional arrest having to be effected. This in itself is a demonstration of his readiness to submit himself to the jurisdiction of the police and by extension that of the court. He is a well-known person and can hardly flee undetected. The police know where he lives. And he does not have a criminal past. The court is a higher authority than the police with respect to, among other things, the granting of bail. And I dare say that no reasonable court should or would grant someone in similar circumstances bail in a sum exceeding $40,000. Anything about this is potentially troubling; and $200,000, as requested by the police, is simply outrageous,” Daniels lamented.

The lawyer added that the senior officer indicated to him that he is working with instructions from above him, and agreed to relay his concerns up the ladder. “He subsequently told the investigating rank that the sum of the bail remains unchanged. MP Patterson inquired from the police whether he can be accompanied by the police to secure the monies for his bail at a location not too far from the police station. Instructions came from higher up that no such courtesies would be granted,” Daniels added. “This is what our criminal justice system looks like. And I do not exaggerate when I say this is a mild exhibition of it. One does not have to search too deep to construct real imaginations of the plight of those who have neither the power of resource, status or connections. And woe to him who has neither of these plus lacks education. Whatever the motivations are relative to MP Patterson, it is plain to see that they are not inspired by a sense of justice,” Daniels asserted.

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• arrested, David Patterson, Exposing genitals, former minister, kitty family

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