Two members of the protective services appeared before different Port-of-Spain magistrates yesterday. A Coast Guard officer charged with unlawfully killing a child and a soldier charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
In the drunk driving matter 32-year-old Jason Scipio pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Magistrate Rehana Ali.
Scipio, of Emerald Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, had an alcohol level of 42 micrograms of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of breath.
The legal limit is 35. The test was conducted some three hours after he allegedly knocked down 63-year-old Hilton Joseph who was attempting to cross the Western Main Road, St James, around 6 pm on Saturday. Scipio, an instructor at Tetron Barracks will re-appear in court on December 22.
In the second court matter, 33-year-old Emile Garraway was not called on to enter a plea when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar.
Garraway was granted $150,000 bail after no objections were made. Garraway was ordered to surrender his passport and report to the Arouca Police Station every Monday and Thursday between 6 am and 6 pm.
Garraway, who is represented by Israel Khan SC and Karunaa Bisramsingh is charged with the unlawful killing of 23-month-old Khristha Knutt on December 7.
Khristha, who would have turned two in January, was reportedly discovered unresponsive after which there was a botched attempt to resuscitate her with an electrical fan cord..
While she was noticeably absent from her child’s funeral last Friday, Tiffany Rawlins, Khristha’s mother was present in court yesterday when her boyfriend appeared.
The few other relatives in the courtroom sat in silence as the charge was read and bail granted.
He will re-appear on January 11 next year.