Schoolgirls, journalist in court

Two schoolgirls, one from the Barataria Senior Comprehensive School and another from St Martin’s Girls’ High School in Belmont along with a newspaper reporter, all appeared before a Port-of-Spain magistrate yesterday, after being arrested by law officers during pre-Carnival street celebrations in Port-of-Spain last week. Appearing before Magistrate Avason Quinlan in the Port-of-Spain Four B Court were the two teenagers, a 15-year-old Form Three student, and 16-year-old Patricia Williams, and Journalist Suzette Edwards-Lewis. Quinlan read the charges to Edwards-Lewis — that on Friday, in the vicinity of Picadilly Street, Port-of-Spain, Edwards-Lewis obstructed a police officer in the execution of his duties.

She was also charged with resisting arrest. With her attorney Vashist Maharaj present, Edwards-Lewis pleaded not guilty to both charges. In his bail application, Maharaj told the magistrate that his client did not have any previous convictions, and asked that she be granted her own bail. The magistrate then granted Edwards-Lewis her own bail in the sum of $2,000 to cover both charges. The courtroom was then vacated for the hearing of the matter for the two schoolgirls — ages 15 and 16, but Newsday was informed that bail was set with a surety for the two girls in the sum of a $1,000 each. The three persons were arrested and charged by PC Christopher Aroon of the Port-of-Spain Task Force. All three matters were adjourned to February 18.