Despite a plea that she was breastfeeding, a mother of four was denied bail yesterday because the policeman she allegedly struck on the head with a brick is on life support at the San Fernando General Hospital.
Tahira Innis, 28, who was arrested since May 2 during Borough Day celebrations in Point Fortin appeared in the Point Fortin Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Senior Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle read the charge to her that at Techier Village Main Road, Point Fortin, she wounded PC Ronald David with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm. Innis lives at Maloney Gardens, D'Abadie.
David, 34, who has eight months service and was attached to the Guapo Police Station, was off duty at the time of the incident. The charge was laid by Sgt Corrie.
Objecting to bail, court prosecutor, Sgt Jessie Jitmansingh, said David was in a critical but stable condition.
“He is on life support, unable to breathe on his own,” he added.
In answer to the magistrate, Jitmansingh said the incident took place between 10 am and noon and David was struck repeatedly behind the head with a concrete brick.
In a bail application attorney Chris Ramlal asked the court to consider his client was the caretaker of her four children, she was ill while in custody and she had no previous convictions or pending matters.
Ramlal said Innis’ youngest child was still breastfeeding and her eldest child, an 11-year-old girl, wrote the Secondary Entrance Assessment exam on Thursday “without the support of her mother.”
While in custody, he said, Innis was taken to four police stations: Point Fortin, where she spent four nights, La Brea, Siparia and San Fernando.
He further submitted that Inniss gave an interview with the police since Monday, was placed on an identification parade on Thursday and charged on Friday night.
Asking the magistrate to balance the victim’s condition with the accused who “suffered severely,” he said Inniss had to be medically treated twice.
The prosecutor confirmed Inniss had no convictions but the tracing showed a pending marijuana possession matter dated November 2005.
Ramlal said that matter was dismissed in the Arima court in 2007.
The magistrate adjourned the case to June 8.