7 News Belize

George Street Underboss Acquitted
posted (February 15, 2012)
Gerald "Shiney" Tillett, brother of the boss of George Street, Sheldon "Pinky" Tillett, was acquitted in Magistrate's Court of 3 charges in connection to a raid by the Gang Suppression Unit conducted in February of last year.

It is a significant acquittal because GSU and George Street are not on very good terms.

According to the GSU, on February 14, 2011, they executed a search on the home of Andrew Talbert on Allenby Street. GSU's Sergeant Cordell Augustine gave a written statement that they were able to gain entry into the house, but Tillett blocked the doorway.

When Augustine asked him to stand aside, Tillett allegedly refused and shoved him in the chest.

Augustine further alleges that he then attempted to place Tillett under arrest, but Tillett resisted. As a result, Tillett was charged with obstruction, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.

When the prosecution called Augustine to testify, he gave pretty much the same version. He added, however, that Tillett punched him on the arm, and that it was not a shove.

Under cross examination by Tillett's attorney, Kareem Musa, Augustine stuck to his story of the punch, and he was shown his written statement, which displayed the inconsistency in facts.

In relation to the obstruction, Musa was to get Augustine to divulge to the court that when he asked Tillett to move, Tillett looked at him and walked away, therefore disproving that there was any obstruction.

On the last charge of resisting arrest, Musa cross examined Augustine and had him admit to the court that when he arrested Tillett, he did not make the necessary caution. Today, Musa made a no-case submission on behalf of his client on three main grounds: the elements of the offenses were not sufficiently proven, there were inconsistencies between the two prosecution witnesses, and there was no caution when Augustine allegedly placed Tillett under arrest.

Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer upheld Musa's submission, discharged him on all 3 counts, and Tillett went home free.

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