Fraud case against constable and former jcf memebers collapses in court

Four members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, including three former officers and a serving constable, walked free from the Home Circuit Court on Thursday after fraud charges against them collapsed.

Former Detective Sergeant James Dawes, former Detective Corporal Tamela Anderson, former Detective Constable Shane Givans and Constable Lakarie Barrett had been accused of orchestrating a scheme to trick a Trelawny woman into believing she was under investigation for drug trafficking.

Prosecutors had alleged that the officers approached the woman in 2023 with what was said to be an official document claiming she was suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. She was reportedly taken into custody and detained.

Shortly after, the woman's mother claimed she received a call from someone identifying himself as a policeman, who allegedly told her that her daughter could be released if money was paid.

The complainant was later released without being charged.

Investigators later alleged that the document shown to the woman was fake and that it had been prepared by the four officers.

The case was brought to light after a complaint was made to the police's Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau, which launched a probe.

However, the case collapsed in court after the Crown accepted the defence's submission that the prosecution did not have sufficient evidence to mount a viable case.

Justice Leighton Pusey agreed with the submission and freed the four accused men and woman of charges including facilitating the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation, forgery, uttering forged documents and perverting the course of justice.

All four had been attached to the police's Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division. Since the allegations surfaced, Dawes, Anderson and Givans have resigned from the force, while Barrett remains a serving member.

The accused were represented by attorneys Chadwick Berry, Christopher Townsend and D'Ondre Buchanan.

- Tanesha Mundle

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