Four people, including two police officers, are in police custody after they allegedly attacked a young Springvale couple, beating a woman unconscious and almost severing her companion’s wrist.
The T&T Guardian understands one of the suspects is a police corporal attached to the Central Division. He is said to have over 30 years of service. Another of the suspect is a police constable attached to the Princes Town Police Station with two years service. The corporal’s wife and her brother are also in custody.
A file is expected to be sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for directions to charge the group and a fifth suspect is expected to be arrested today.
The victims, Vanessa Vialva, 21 and her common-law husband Bradley Ramnarine, 25, were leaving PJ’s Bar at Mount Pleasant Road, Springvale, Claxton Bay, around 11 pm on Monday after celebrating Vialva’s birthday when they were attacked.
In an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Vialva recounted the events leading up the incident.
“We were leaving the bar when they blocked the car back and front and the woman unbuckled my seatbelt and her husband, who is a police officer, and her father came and dragged me from the car into their yard,” Vialva said.
The mother of one said she was then beaten with a piece of wood on the head.
“She began hitting me with the piece of wood on my head and that’s when my husband tried to get out of the car to intervene and pull me out from their yard.”
However, before Ramnarine could reach her, he was chopped. The blow left his right wrist hanging on by only the skin and the last thing Vialva remembered is him collapsing on top of her.
“I was unconscious. I remember him falling on me and then I woke up in the hospital with my father next to me and I was asking him where I was and what time it was.”
Vialva alleges this is not the first time she has been attacked by the family, who are related to Ramnarine.
“It is a dispute that has been ongoing for over 10 years over land, every time we go to the police station to make a report, the officers there that know them never took our reports.”
Officers of the Couva Police Station responded to the scene and took the couple to the Couva District Health Facility. They were then transfered to the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) where Ramnarine remains warded in stable condition.
Sgt Curtis Pierre is continuing investigations.