A man who was beaten by police and framed with a criminal case over a bad drive has been awarded $85,000 in compensation.Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh, presiding in the Hall of Justice, ordered the damages to be paid to Nigel Smith after the State accepted liability.Smith, a factory supervisor, had sued the State for malicious prosecution. He was represented by attorneys Kevin Ratiram and Charlene Kalloo.In his statement, Smith said around 7.30 pm on July 10, 2006, he tried to overtake a red Nissan Wingroad along the Old Golden Grove Road, Piarco.He said the Wingroad pulled to the right and collided with the left of his car.
Both he and other driver, who he later found out was PC Boodhoo, stopped their cars and got out. Smith said a passenger, who was later identified as Anand Persad, also got out and began cursing and grabbed him by the throat.He said Boodhoo told him: "We is police. You want to bad-drive people? We go teach you a lesson."He said Boodhoo slapped him and he fell to the ground and both Boodhoo and Persad began beating him. He said Persad also vandalised his car.When the police came to the scene they ignored Smith's complaint and instead arrested him. He said he was charged with unlawfully assaulting Persad, occasioning him a wound. He spent a few hours in a dirty cell before he was granted $500 bail. Smith subsequently appeared in the Arima Magistrates Court but on February 18, 2010, his case was dismissed because neither Boodhoo nor Persad attended court.