Policeman gets six months for assaulting woman
A police constable was sentenced to six months imprisonment at hard labour Tuesday, on a charge of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.
Constable Leemour Palmer was convicted for the February 2005 assault on Angela Fennel-Reid, who was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken nose stemming from the incident.
After sentencing in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate Court, the cop immediately signalled his intentions to appeal and applied for bail. However, Resident Magistrate Sharon George refused his bail application, saying that the evidence against him was very strong, and that it was highly unlikely that the Court of Appeal would overturn her decision.
George scolded Palmer for his lack of remorse towards his victim, while outlining that due to the prevalence of this type of conduct by police officers across the island, she needed to send a strong message.
Meanwhile, the human rights lobby group Jamaicans for Justice, in lauding RM George, said in a press release that it hoped the ruling would send a strong message to other abusive cops.
“Jamaicans for Justice is hopeful that such rulings and sentences will send a clear message that members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force will be held accountable for their actions – and we commend RM George for her ruling and insightful comments,” the statement said.
Charges laid against Fennel-Reid stemming from the 2005 incident were dropped due to a lack of evidence.