Inmates throw urine on police inspector

Three men yesterday accused the leadership and staff at Corporate Area lock-ups of discriminating against them, allegedly because of their sexual preferences.

The men said that they face discrimination daily, and pleaded with the judge to have them moved to the more favourable Kingston Central lock-up. The men are before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court after being charged for common assault and using abusive and calumnious language following an incident at the lock-ups earlier this year. It was shared with the court that the men threw urine on a police inspector.

One of them, who previously retained an attorney, informed Senior Parish Judge Paula Blake-Powell on Wednesday that he no longer needed legal representation as he intended to plead guilty to the charges.

"Your Honour, she no longer represents me because I want to plead guilty. We did it yes, we throw the pee on her, but it was just a little bit that catch on her clothes," he explained.

Blake-Powell said that while she noted the men's admission of guilt, she would prefer to have the complainant present in court. But the men were aggrieved by that suggestion.

"Your Honour, we plead guilty because we want it fi done now. She [the complainant] nah come court because she know say a lie she a tell. She deh over the station right now," one of the other defendants said.

Hearing the concerns of the men, the judge issued a subpoena for the complainant's attendance on the next court hearing.

One of the accused, who is also before the court for simple larceny, and another, who has another matter in St Ann later this month, were remanded in custody until July 20 to allow time for the file to be completed. The third man was also remanded until then.