Handful of supporters greet Alleyne

The mettle of officers attached to the Court and Process Branch was not tested yesterday when television host Ian Alleyne reappeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court. Unlike his last appearance, on April 24, when he was accompanied by a large crowd of supporters outside the court house on St Vincent Street, Alleyne and his attorney Om Lalla arrived at 8.45 am yesterday and were greeted by a handful of people. Alleyne shook  a woman’s hand before entering the court house, and appeared sombre as he waited for the matter to be called before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Eighth Magistrates’ Court. Alleyne is facing three charges under Section 32 (2) of the Sexual Offences Act, which makes it an offence to reveal the identity of a rape victim. 

 

The charges stem from a video depicting the rape of a 13-year-old which was allegedly aired three times on television station TV6 in October last year. Alleyne also faces an additional charge of resisting arresting officer ASP Ajith Persad in the execution of his duties. Alleyne has denied all the charges and was granted $80,000 bail by Magistrate Ayers-Caesar. Several executive members of the Caribbean Communications Network (CCN), the parent company of TV6, which airs Alleyne’s nightly Crime Watch programme were also expected to attend court yesterday. However, when the matter was called at 9.30 am, defence attorney Sophia Chote informed the court via letter that the CCN executives had elected to be represented by legal counsel.