Red Fete cop’s wife: ...SENTENCE...

Natasha Burnett, 32, of Toronto, the wife of PC Dave Burnett who was found guilty in the “Red Fete” murder trial last week, said she was “outraged” that a police officer could face the death penalty for an incident that happened in the line of duty.

Natasha Burnett is the mother of PC Burnett’s newborn baby daughter, ironically named Justice, who was born in Toronto two months ago. Both mother and baby will be travelling to Trinidad next week, where Natasha is hoping that her husband will be given an opportunity to see his daughter for the first time.

Citing research, Natasha Burnett said there is no precedent in North America where an on-duty police officer has faced the possibility of execution for an incident that happened in the line of duty.

There have been three incidents in England, however, where officers on duty faced murder charges. In two of the cases, the officers were acquitted, while the third matter involving Chief Inspector Neil Sharman and PC Kevin Fagan, has been mired in controversy.

Sharman and Fagan were charged with murder after shooting an unarmed man in 1999. The charges against them brought an unprecedented reaction from their colleagues, who in 2004 and again in 2005 refused to carry their guns in protest.

In October, the murder charges against the two officers were dropped, and last month, the Independent Police Complaints Commission in Britain released a report stating the two officers should not face disciplinary action.

As for the PC Burnett case in Trinidad, the officer’s wife thinks the law is flawed when coming to dealing with such cases.

“There’s no distinction between pre-meditated murder and an incident of the nature in which my husband was charged,” she said. “This case sets a precedent which means any officer who kills someone in the line of duty could end up on death row, and as such police officers in Trinidad should be very concerned.”

She added, “Everyone I’ve spoken to about this up here (in North America), including justice officials and police officers, said they have never heard of a case like this one. Many police associations and groups in Canada and the United States have expressed an interest in getting involved in this matter at the appeal level.”

Lawyers for PC Burnett have not yet filed an appeal in the matter, but plan on doing so shortly.

Natasha Burnett said she is still in shock that her husband, who has what she said is an “impeccable record,” is now sitting on Death Row.

“I am not making light of the fact that a life was lost,” the quiet, well-spoken Natasha said. “But this is not the response to that incident. Even the victim’s mother has said she would not like to see my husband hanged.”

Natasha Burnett said friends of PC Burnett in the US are gathering support from various groups, including the Democratic Association and some US senators, to take an active interest in the case.

PC Burnett is the first officer in Trinidad and Tobago’s history to be convicted of murder for killing someone while on duty.

He was found guilty of shooting 18-year-old Kevin Cato to death, and wounding one of his friends, Ryan Solomon, at the Outrageous In Red fete in January, 2004.

The shooting followed an altercation between Solomon and the officer.

Burnett was originally charged on January 28, 2004 with murder. At the end of the preliminary inquiry on June 9,2004 the magistrate ruled that Burnett be charged with manslaughter and he was granted bail. In May 2005 he was re-indicted by the DPP for murder and arrested in July 2005. His trial ended in a guilty verdict and death sentence on March 21, 2006.