7 News Belize

Police Officer Convicted Of Abuse Of Authority
posted (May 12, 2014)
Police Constable Brandon Hertular, is in jail tonight awaiting a sentence after he was convicted of theft while on duty. The dramatic conclusion to this case, played out in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith today.

The theft occurred on March 5, 2012, and the complainant, Shirley Chicas, testified in the trial that she was at her Belize City home with her 2 sons when Hertular and another man entered. Both of them identified themselves as police officers, and they searched her house. They confiscated a 9 millimeter pistol, 2 cellular phones, and $1,650 in cash, saying that the items were going to the Police Exhibit Room pending the outcome of some robberies they were investigating. The problem is that instead of doing so, Chicas said that he kept the items for himself.

In his defence, he testified and denied the allegation, but with all the evidence before her, Chief Magistrate Smith found him guilty of Theft. The police also accused him of burglarizing the exhibit room, but that there was not enough evidence to prove the offence against him.

Hertular will return to court tomorrow, when Chief Magistrate Smith will pass sentence on him.

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