Man gets $136,440 for false imprisonment

A 25-year-old Morvant man who was beaten with a metal broom handle by police officers in Tobago and detained for 72 hours without any charges being laid against him has been awarded $136,440 in damages. Lawyers for the State entered into a consent order before San Fernando judge Andre des Vignes yesterday and agreed to pay Konig Dick, of Romain Land, Mon Repos Road, Morvant, damages for the the incident which occurred at the Scarborough Police Station.

Dick, through his attorney Cindy Bhagwandeen, had filed a personal action for false imprisonment/assault and battery against the Attorney General. According to Dick’s statement of claim, on November 17, 2008 around 1.45 pm he was at his aunt Edith Jack-Richards’ home at Charlotteville, when Constables Wallace, Boodoo and Wettfield, entered the house.

Dick said he did not know they were police officers so he hid in the bathroom when he saw the guns.
One of the officers, he said, took a broom with a metal handle and started to beat him. The other two officers “joined in and kicked me about my body.” The beating, he said, lasted for 15 minutes. Dick said he was falsely imprisoned from 1.45 pm on November 17, 2008 to 2 pm on November 20, 2008 and subsequently released without being charged.