Man denies stabbing woman police

TUNAPUNA RESIDENT Clinton Gangasingh yesterday denied stabbing Woman Police Constable Suzanna Campbell in her abdomen after she told him to leave the Tunapuna Post Office on July 2, 2001. Gangasingh also denied that he had a knife in his pocket on July 2, 2001. He said if he had a knife or cutlass he might have “chopped up the security officer who was beating him” in order to defend himself. These statements formed part of Gangasingh’s evidence in his defence in the matter in which he appeared before High Court Judge Joan Charles in the Port-of-Spain Sixth Criminal Court, charged with wounding Campbell with intent to do her grievous bodily harm, stemming from an incident which occurred at the Tunapuna Post Office on July 2, 2001. Gangasingh is being represented by defence attorney Oscar King, while attorneys Alexander Prince and Angelica Teelucksingh are representing the State.

In his evidence, Gangasingh of Lammie Street, Tunapuna, stated that on July 2, 2001, he arrived at the Tunapuna Post Office  around 2 pm. He said there was a group of people inside. He went up to the “lady security” and pulled out his identification document and asked for his cheque. At that point, someone behind him began cursing and demanding his cheque saying that “nobody eh care about him.” Gangasingh said he left and went outside the post office where he sat on a concrete bench. While there, an old man, “a drunkard,” came and asked him what he was doing there and if his family did not want him up the road. He said he did not answer and the man continued talking all sorts of things. He said he did not respond, he just sat there and listened.

A short while later, a security officer in a green uniform came up to him and started hitting him. The officer took him into a room with some old desks and chairs and continued to beat him about the body. The officer also searched his pants and found $20, a bank book case with his identification paper, NIS card, old insurance cheque stubs and a letter from Miss Jenny to the insurance people. About two minutes, later some police officers came and one of them told the security guard to leave him alone. He said the police officer pat him on his back and asked him if he was alright and how he was going. He was then taken to the Tunapuna Police Station and fingerprinted. When asked by his attorney if he had observed Campbell at the post office, he said he did not. Under cross-examination by State attorney Alexander Prince, Gangasingh said that he did not go to the post office at 9 am on July 2, 2001, nor did Devenish tell him that the cheque had already been posted out. He also denied becoming aggressive, pounding the counter, cursing or stabbing Campbell while he was at the post office.

He told the court that Devenish was always cordial to him and usually called him “Clinton,” however, he only knew her by face. He said he only knew her name when she testified in the trial. He also stated that he had never been in any altercation with Devenish before the incident. Gangasingh denied that Devenish had any reason to speak to him about his behaviour at the post office on July 2, 2001. He also told the court that the guard hit him three times to his head with a baton about 20 inches long. He also explained that two officers took him to the Arima Hospital on July 5, 2001, where he received stitches to his head. The stitches were later taken out at the Golden Grove Prison. When Prince put to him that he had a knife on the day of the incident, Gangasingh replied, “if I had a knife or a cutlass I would ah chop that officer to protect myself.” The matter continues today, when Justice Charles is expected to sum up the case after which the jury will retire to deliberate the evidence and return a verdict.