State to compensate Cocorite fisherman for wrongful arrest

THE State has been ordered to compensate a Cocorite fisherman for the police’s “flagrant disregard for the deprivation” of his rights when he was arrested in 2017 in Sea Lots and held for three and a half days before being released.

Justice Margaret Mohammed ordered the State to pay to Jean Marc Elijah Jones a total of $90,000 in damages and an additional sum of $22,000 in prescribed costs.

Jones, of Harding Place, Cocorite, was walking through a track in Sea Lots, on October 17, 2017, when he was arrested by a group of police officers and taken to the Besson Street police station.

He said he was not told why he was arrested. At the time, he said he told police he was 17 years old and was going to visit his cousin in Sea Lots.

Two days after his arrest, his grandfather filed an application for a writ of habeas corpus, and the next day, Jones was released and the application was withdrawn.

Jones said because of his arrest and detention, he suffered loss and damages.

In defence of the claim, the State contended that Jones was lawfully detained and said he was told that he was being detained on suspicion of wounding by shooting.

In her decision, Mohammed said it was not probable that a reasonable officer, in possession of all the facts, would have formed the opinion that Jones was one of the people being sought for firearm-related offences in the Cocorite area.

She said the police told Jones he was a suspect before confirming his identity and had no reasonable and probable cause to arrest him at the time.

In explaining why she was awarded damages, Mohammed said the conduct of the police was not simply laissez-faire but one where there was a flagrant disregard for the deprivation of Jones’ liberty for the three and a half days. This, she said, could not be condoned by the court.

Jones was represented by attorneys Richard Clark Wills and Celeste St Louis while attorneys Ebo Jones and Ryan Grant represented the State.