High Court Judge grants bail to Cop accused of obstructing Quindon Bacchus’s case
Police Sergeant Dameion McLennon, who is accused of obstructing the course of justice in the Quindon Bacchus case, was granted $250,000 bail by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC.
In July, McLennon of Patterson Turkeyen was remanded to prison after being slapped with an attempt to obstruct the course of justice charge.
The court heard that on June 30, 2022, he willfully attempted to obstruct the course of justice by giving false information to the Police in the investigation.
He had denied shooting at Bacchus, but the Police Prosecutor told the court that investigators recovered two spent shells fired from his service weapon at the crime scene.
On July 22, his lawyer, Bernard Da Silva, applied for bail in the High Court before Justice Sandil Kissoon, which was refused. The State objected on the grounds that the case is a public interest matter, which attracted widespread protest.
Notwithstanding, Da Silva renewed his application for bail, arguing that the offence in which his client was charged is “eminently bailable.”
The attorney advanced that on the day of the shooting, McLennon was called by his senior rank to offer support to the assigned team in operation on the East Coast of Demerara.
“[McLennon] was not on the scene at the time of the shooting; he was called on the scene as a support officer; and not the frontline officer. Some Police Ranks who were detailed/assigned were in the force vehicle, while others were on the ground,” Da Silva submitted.
He added that his client was the driver of the Force’s vehicle, which was backed by the findings of the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), Retired Justice William Ramlall.
“It is a known fact that at this stage of proceedings, it is nothing more than mere allegation albeit a serious allegation, and this charge is yet to be proven.”
He continued, “This situation has the potential to cause the defendant to unnecessarily endure the exposure of inhumane and unhygienic conditions, coupled with the exposure of the many health hazards while in prison.”
McLennon is expected to make another court appearance in the Magistrate’s Court on September 20.
Additionally, Sergeant McLennon would have had his Cadet Officer promotion withdrawn by the Police Service Commission (PSC).
In addition to Mc Lennon, Lance Corporal Thurston Simon was charged with attempting to obstruct the course of justice, while Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega was slapped with a murder charge.
Bacchus, a father of one, was shot on June 10 during what the GPF claimed was an intelligence-led operation at Haslington New Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
MTV News Update had reported that the 23-year-old father was shot six times and once to the head.
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