Dad accused of brutalising kids now on indecent assault charge
Bail again refused
Stabroek News
February 28, 2004
Police slapped an additional charge on the father who was charged with brutalising his four children at their Mocha Home when he appeared in court yesterday.
Even as the hearing into the beatings commenced before Magistrate Adrian Thompson at the Providence Magistrate's Court, Colin Henry, 41, of 583 Mocha-Arcadia faced an additional charge of indecent assault.
Allegations are that he committed acts of indecent assault on a young girl some time between November 1, 2003 and November 30, 2003. He is accused of fondling the nine-year-old.
The prosecution led by Huburn Devonish commenced the hearing into the beatings that Henry reportedly inflicted on his children on January 31, and taking the stand was seven-year-old Ezekiel Henry, the youngest. The boy in his testimony recalled regular beatings especially the blows he received at the hands of his father on the day in question at their East Bank home.
The hearing will resume on March 1.
Magistrate Thompson turned down a renewed bail application by attorney-at-law Gwendolyn Bristol on behalf of the accused and further remanded him to prison.
At the last hearing on February 13, Bristol had cited temporary insanity as the reason behind the beatings explaining that the accused lost his cool and went berserk. According to her, that was not his usual behaviour.
Devonish, objecting to bail being granted, raised the grounds he had mentioned on the last occasion. He said the accused could not lose his capacity to control himself, severely beat his children then claim temporary insanity. He also pointed out that on the basis of temporary insanity, the accused is admitting to committing the acts and contradicting his denial of the offence.
Devonish yesterday raised another issue in his objection. He told the court that the children were approached by a friend of the accused, who told them not to give evidence against Henry.
The incident occurred in the Providence Magistrate's Courtyard at the last hearing, according to the prosecutor.
Henry is charged with three counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm. According to reports, he unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on 11-year-old Colin Henry; ten-year-old Isaiah Henry; nine-year-old Whitney Henry and seven-year-old Ezekiel Henry.
Reports are that he severely beat the children with an electric cord after he returned home from work on the said day and found that several chores in the home were not done.
A teacher at the Mocha Primary School spotted wounds on one of the children and reported the beating. Henry was later detained.