Deputy Police Commissioner cleared of dangerous driving charge

DCP Suzette Martin

DEPUTY Commissioner of Police Suzette Martin has been cleared of a dangerous driving charge.

On December 16, a notice of discontinuance signed by Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, was formally filed in the Port of Spain District Court .

On Monday evening, Gaspard confirmed to Newsday that he exercised his authority under section 90 of the Constitution.

Martin appeared before Senior Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor on December 17, when the magistrate formally discharged Martin and dismissed the matter.

“The court having seen the notice of discontinuance…the matter is hereby dismissed.”

No reason was given for the discontinuance.

ACP Wayne Mystar laid the charge against his colleague in October 2023, when she was head of the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB).

The charge related to an incident that took place around 8.30 am on April 18, 2023, on the Priority Bus Route (PBR) in the Croisee, San Juan.

A 14-year-old student was crossing the road to get to school when he was allegedly struck by an unmarked police vehicle driven by Martin. The victim suffered fractures to his foot.

The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) investigated and Martin was charged via summons and ordered to appear in court.

When she did, she pleaded not guilty and her attorneys asked for her case to be determined expeditiously.

Attorney Jagdeo Singh noted at that hearing, “This case has reached you in strange circumstances. This file was closed by police investigators in clear, unmistakeable, and unimpeachable terms.”

Martin remained head of the PSB, the unit that investigates misconduct allegations against police officers, as  police regulations did not require her to be suspended pending the outcome of the case. In March, the House of Representatives approved Martin’s appointment as a deputy commissioner.

Former commissioner James Philbert and Darren Mitchell also represented Martin. Deputy DPP Giselle Ferguson-Heller represented the Office of the DPP.

Speaking on behalf of Martin’s legal team, Mitchell commended the DPP and Ferguson-Heller for their “demonstration of justice and independence in what can be safely viewed as mischief and desperation.”

On April 18, 2023, around 8.30 am, Martin was driving east on the PBR in a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV, an unmarked police car. The youngster, who was on his way to school, was allegedly struck while crossing near the Croisee and suffered fractures to his feet, reports at the time said. The PCA compiled the file after obtaining CCTV footage of the collision and enlisting the help of numerous eyewitnesses.

The PCA's report recommended disciplinary and criminal charges against Martin.