A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a policeman who failed to attend court to give evidence in a child abandonment case on Thursday.
Upon arrest, PC Adrian Sotio is to be granted $3,000 bail.
Soto is a prosecution witness in a preliminary inquiry in the San Fernando Magistrates Court against Gasparillo mother Candice Dieal, 38, who is charged with two counts of child abandonment.
Last week, prosecutor Cleyon Seedan led evidence from three witnesses, charging officer WPC Nicole St John, WPC Leslieann Halls and Alwin Williams.
He also asked First Court Senior Magistrate Jo-Anne Connor to issue a summons for Sotio to attend court on Thursday to give evidence in the matter.
However, when the matter was called yesterday Sotio failed to show. Acting Sergeant Charles of the Child Protection Unit told the magistrate that she served Sotio with the summons on Tuesday at the Gasparillo Police Station. Dieal who is being represented by attorney Ainsley Lucky was last December charged with abandoning her two children. She is on $100,000 bail.
The charges alleged that on December 14 in Gasparillo, she wilfully neglected the children, ages three and ten, in a manner likely to cause suffering to their physical health. The prosecution is alleging that Dieal allegedly left her son and daughter alone at home around 11 pm on December 13. The neighbours contacted the police after they allegedly heard the children screaming and crying. When the police arrived at the house they discovered that the children were alone. The police contacted the mother and subsequently took the children to the police station.
The children have since been placed in the care of their relatives. The matter has been adjourned to next Friday.