Woman charged with inducing a police officer

The case in which 24-year-old Questelles resident Adonna Charles is accused of inducing Sergeant 366 Rohan Giles to commit a breach of discipline, got underway recently at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court.{{more}}

The offence is said to have been committed on July 23, 2011, at the Questelles Police Station.

On Tuesday, this week, the court heard testimony from a number of police officers, including Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller.

It is alleged that Giles was found in the company of Charles in the garage area of the police station at around 12:00 am.

In her testimony, vendor, Latoya Prince of Chauncey told the court that she was with Charles in Chauncey when Giles and another police officer came to speak to some men who were playing music loudly.

She said Giles left the area, then Charles left long after, but she said she did not know where Charles went.

In his testimony, Commissioner Miller said the woman was discovered to be on the compound of the police station when he went to the station on a visit.

Taking the stand, Sergeant Giles, currently on suspension, told the court that he had known Charles for about two months prior to the alleged incident.

He explained that he was on duty at the police station around 11:40 p.m. when he saw the defendant.

“I received a phone call from Adonna and she said she had some information to give me,” Giles said.

Giles told the court that Charles said she did not want anyone to hear what she had to say, because of fear she might be killed. He said Charles asked if he had any place safe for them to talk. That’s when Charles said they went to the police garage.

Ten minutes later, Giles said he heard footsteps coming from the main building.

“I was going to see who was walking around the station,” Giles said.

He noted that at that point, he did not see where Charles went to, and when he opened the door coming from the garage, he saw it was the Commissioner.

“He (The Commissioner) asked me, Sergeant Giles, where are you coming from?” Giles testified.

He noted that his back was turned so he did not know if Charles was still around.

“I told him I’m coming from the garage and he told me ‘Don’t move’, in an aggressive voice…,” Giles added.

He said Miller then telephoned Detective Inspector Sydney James from the Major Crimes Unit and summoned him to Questelles. He said the door for the laundry room was then opened, where Charles was found to be hiding.

Giles said the Commissioner told Inspector James to take his firearm, but Giles said his gun was upstairs in the station.

Miller then ordered Giles and Charles to be escorted to the Central Police Station.

“I didn’t get a chance to speak to the Commissioner, because of how he was getting on towards me. I didn’t tell the station orderly (officer in charge) anything, because he was asleep,” he further explained.

Under cross-examination, Jaundy Martin, counsel for Charles, asked Giles if Charles induced him to do anything, to which he replied, “No!”

“Did you breach any discipline? “No, please!,” Giles responded.

“Is she wrongly accused?” Martin asked. Giles replied, “Yes, please, Your worship.”

When he took the stand, Inspector James told the court that about 12:10 am, he went to the Questelles Police Station.

James said the Commissioner told him something and he (James) cautioned Charles.

“She told me she broke into the station to tell Sergeant Giles that she is a secret admirer,” James testified.

He further noted that Miller gave him instructions to investigate the matter.

James said later that day, while at the Central Police Station, he cautioned and interviewed Charles.

Police Constable Delroy Tittle of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) told the court that while at the Questelles Station, he heard loud speaking downstairs and saw that it was Commissioner Miller.

“The Commissioner said, ‘You see what is going on down here?’ “ Tittle said.

He noted that Miller asked the woman what she was doing in the laundry room, but she did not answer.

The case was adjourned to September 23 after Martin objected to the caution statement on the grounds that it was not voluntarily given.(KW)