Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds returned to the witness stand briefly as the obscene language case of self-proclaimed Beetham Community Activist Anderson Wilson continued yesterday.
Hinds’stay in the witness box, however, was cut short as he had to exit the proceedings at 11. 45 am to attend an important meeting at Whitehall, the court learnt.
The matter itself had a delayed start as defence attorney Darren Mitchell said he could not arrive before 11 am.
The delays in the case appeared most irritating to Wilson, who is accused of using obscene language towards the MP, as he told the court he had missed passport appointments to attend the case.
Wilson appeared restless during the matter, and would constantly gesture or make utterances which would repeatedly draw warnings from Magistrate Sarah De Silva, who at one point. read from the Summary Courts Act stating that interrupting the court was an offence and advised him to stop interrupting the court.
Wilson, however, claimed at one point that he required medication to curb his movements.
Mitchell eventually arrive at 11.22 am, allowing for a 20-minute period to continue the cross-examination of the Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs before his departure.
During the cross-examination, Mitchell sought to confirm if Hinds made a report concerning the August 14 incident in person at the Besson Street Police Station or via telephone.
Hinds said while he was not certain of the exact date, he certainly did make a report in person.
Mitchell also raised questions as to if Hinds was certain that through the group of noisy persons who followed him on that day, that he was certain Wilson had used obscene language, to which Hinds said he heard him.
Following Hinds’ dismissal, the matter was stood down until 1 pm, when lead investigator acting Inspector Randall McGuirk took the stand.
Mitchell questioned McGuirk concerning the absence of Wilson’s name in a witness statement submitted by Hinds on August 27, when McGuirk took control of the investigation.
During the cross-examination, McGuirk said he was only aware that Hinds made a report to the Inter-Agency Task Force base in the Beetham and via telephone to the Besson Street Police Station.
However, lead prosecutor Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) George Busby. in his re-examination of McGuirk, asked if Wilson’s name had been mentioned in Hinds’ initial statement to original investigator acting ASP Edmund Cumberbatch, which McGuirk confirmed.
Hinds is expected to return the stand when the matter resumes on January 17.