Three police officers have freed of a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against them in the Sangre Grande Magistrates’ Court.
Police corporal Rameshwar Gopaul, constable Anil Gopaul and WPC Tia Gopaul, who are all attached to Eastern Division, were charged with the offence by Inspector Ken Lutchman, head of Sangre Grande CID.
They were accused of beating businessman David Rampersad, of Vega de Oropouche, when he went to collect his rent.
Attorney Shivanand Dubay, who represented the three accused, submitted to First Court Magistrate Gillian Scotland that the defendants were entitled to a plea of Autrefois Acquit, meaning the defendants had already been tried for and were acquitted of the same offence.
The trio, who are a father, son and daughter in the TTPS, also appeared before Senior Magistrate Debra Quintyne
On the same charged on June 12, 2018, and were also acquitted.
State prosecutor Kezia Burkett did not respond to the submission by Dubay and Scotland dismissed the charge against the Gopauls.