You may remember San Ignacio resident Kurt Morgan. He's came to our office back in December 2016 complaining bitterly of police harassment, after he and his common-law wife, Shaun Gardener, were arrested and charged with drug possession because one of their friends was smoking marijuana back when it was illegal to be in possession of any amount of marijuana.
Well, it's been just over 13 months, and today, his common-law wife came to us complaining that the harassment has only gotten worse. He's at the Belize Central Prison at this time after being charged robbery, for allegedly holding up a tourist at gunpoint and mugging her of her iPhone and her wallet which had $300 cash.
Gardener says that the way this alleged harassment plays out is that he is always their first suspect whenever any crime is committed in that jurisdiction, and that, there is a certain police officer who is targeting him.
Today, she came to us to complain, hoping that it will reach the ears of the police high command, who she hopes will intervene to stop the harassment. Here's how she explained it to us this evening, when we challenged her on the fact that he has been charged several times, even with murder 8 years ago:
Shaun Gardener - Common-law Wife
"They claim to say that my boyfriend is doing this and doing that. The other day some tourist got rob on the 14th but they held him on the 13th with a charge sheet. They said he held a tourist with a fire arm but I know it's a fraud, it's just something that can send you to prison. What this paper is saying, they just throw him in a cell without ID parade, no investigation and something needs to be done because this is past the mark and this is a police officer that have something special with him. So something needs to be done. They are violating his rights and everything that happened in San Ignacio, it's him. But it's something personal like I said. I mean if he did something wrong, I don't mind sending him to jail. Without an ID parade investigation or anything just throw him behind the bars and send him to prison, that's wrong."
Reporter
"So that's where he is right now?"
Shaun Gardener - Common-law Wife
"Yes, he went down yesterday and he was locked up for 5 days, but I'll get my lawyer involved because we are going to sue them if we have to."
Reporter
"Where was he when this particular crime happened?"
Shaun Gardener - Common-law Wife
"He was with me on Burns Avenue. But a police officer himself told my boyfriend that no crime happened on that day. That is how he know."
Reporter
"So, you are saying, you are vouching that on the day when this crime supposedly happened he was with you?"
Shaun Gardener - Common-law Wife
"Yes, he was with you on the 13th on Burns Avenue."
Reporter
"How on the 14th when this crime supposedly happened?"
Shaun Gardener - Common-law Wife
"He was with me on valentines with 5 several persons in a park and they just took him out of the crowd and took him to the station."
Reporter
"But Ma'am I have to ask you, we have encountered many people who come here and they swear for their family member that he or she is not involved in what they are being accused of and then low and behold later on you find out that they were lying. So, we have to challenge you."
Shaun Gardener - Common-law Wife
"Trust me, I know my man, I live with him going for 11 years and anything he does I know and he was with me because we were together almost every day. So, if it was like that then they should have charged me too."
Reporter
"Viewers may look on and say but the police cannot be stoning an empty mango tree, something must have happened."
Shaun Gardener - Common-law Wife
"Because they are dwelling his past on his future and he is not that anymore because of me. I always tell him that. People could change."
Gardener says that she and her common-law husband are going to try to get an attorney to get this charge removed, and if they have to push, they will sue the police department. She also claims that she has tried to get meetings with high ranking officers of the department, who are always too busy to make time for her.
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