Cop’s bail application postponed in St Elizabeth rape case
Published:Thursday | June 15, 2023 | 1:49 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
A bail application for the police constable implicated in the alleged rape and robbery of a woman in St Elizabeth following a traffic stop in January was yesterday postponed to November 23.
Constable Alwayne Hill is also accused of making purchases amounting to US$882 and $43,705 from the complainant’s debit and credit card.
Hill, who was assigned to the Black River Police Station, is facing charges of forcible abduction, rape, corruptly soliciting, simple larceny, and grievous sexual assault.
The application was scheduled for yesterday but was pushed back because the Communication Forensic Cybercrimes Department (CFCD) is still outstanding.
Hill, as a result, was further remanded.
Attorney-at-law Vincent Wellesley told The Gleaner that he had intended to make a bail application but required answers to certain critical information for which the report would provide clarity.
He says he needs to know who had used the complainant’s credit cards as well as the number that was used to top up his client’s phone with credit as the allegations suggest.
In the meantime, Wellesley is maintaining that his client is innocent and is confident that he will be acquitted.
Allegations are that on January 30, at 10 p.m., the complainant was driving along a roadway in Crawford in St Elizabeth when she was signalled to stop by a team of policemen and a demonstration licence plate was observed.
It is alleged that the defendant told the woman that the wrecker fee was $50,000 and so she would need to pay him that amount to avoid being ticketed.
The complainant reportedly indicated that she only had $7,000 on her.
It is further alleged that Hill accompanied her to an automated teller machine but that the machine failed to withdraw the sum that was demanded.
She was then reportedly instructed to drive to a supermarket, where she was taken to the parking lot and allegedly raped by the accused, who also made threats against her life.
Her debit card and credit cards were also reportedly used to make purchases.
The matter was reported to the police and a case file was prepared and submitted to the director of public prosecutions, who recommended that Hill be charged.
The other three police officers have been released.