Drug offender accuses RVIPF of police brutality
A man has accused the Royal Virgin Island Police Force (RVIPF) of mistreatment while in custody when he appeared in the Magistrate Court on October 25.
The man, identified as Kitt Hodge, said he received serious abuse when he was locked up for illegal possession of cocaine.
“I obtained a lot of brutalisation from the police. There is a steel holding up my right hand and I’m blind in the right eye,” Hodge stated.
“They tried to kill me and leave me on the side. I don’t know why they are doing that to me. I am not a bad person,” he told Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards.
Hodge said he was in custody for seven to eight days before he was brought in front of a court to answer for his charges back in March when he was first arrested.
During that time, officers would enter his cell and abuse him, accused man claimed.
“On one nightshift, the police came in my cell and said they were moving me to another cell. As soon as he (the police officer) got the handcuff on my hands, four more officers came and beat me,” he mentioned.
Magistrate Richards also commented on Hodge’s appearance saying he looked significantly better than when he first appeared in court. He had alleged the police had beaten him until his eyes were swollen shut and he had bruises all over his body.
It his not known whether his claims will be probed.
In the meantime, Hodge pleaded guilty to illegal possession of cocaine which was found in his possession on March 24. He was found with 16.8 grams of drug at the Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital.
He told the court that was the dumbest decision he had ever made in his life up to that point. He also said he wanted the chance to ‘be somebody’ again.
Hodge was sentenced to six months in prison for the offence. In handing down the sentence, Magistrate Richards said justice would be served if she gave Hodge a time-served sentence.
The offender had been on remand for seven months at Her Majesty’s Prison so Magistrate Richards said he would be released once all paperwork was sorted.
She also made a destruction order for the drugs.
“I obtained a lot of brutalisation from the police. There is a steel holding up my right hand and I’m blind in the right eye,” Hodge stated.
“They tried to kill me and leave me on the side. I don’t know why they are doing that to me. I am not a bad person,” he told Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards.
Hodge said he was in custody for seven to eight days before he was brought in front of a court to answer for his charges back in March when he was first arrested.
During that time, officers would enter his cell and abuse him, accused man claimed.
“On one nightshift, the police came in my cell and said they were moving me to another cell. As soon as he (the police officer) got the handcuff on my hands, four more officers came and beat me,” he mentioned.
Magistrate Richards also commented on Hodge’s appearance saying he looked significantly better than when he first appeared in court. He had alleged the police had beaten him until his eyes were swollen shut and he had bruises all over his body.
It his not known whether his claims will be probed.
In the meantime, Hodge pleaded guilty to illegal possession of cocaine which was found in his possession on March 24. He was found with 16.8 grams of drug at the Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital.
He told the court that was the dumbest decision he had ever made in his life up to that point. He also said he wanted the chance to ‘be somebody’ again.
Hodge was sentenced to six months in prison for the offence. In handing down the sentence, Magistrate Richards said justice would be served if she gave Hodge a time-served sentence.
The offender had been on remand for seven months at Her Majesty’s Prison so Magistrate Richards said he would be released once all paperwork was sorted.
She also made a destruction order for the drugs.
