Cop accused of assaulting wife found not guilty

Senior Reporter

rhondor.dowlat

@guardian.co.tt

A police officer who was accused of assaulting his wife and teenage son has been found not guilty after a trial.

The charges against acting corporal Ellis Stewart arose from an alleged domestic dispute at the family’s Maloney home on the night of July 24, 2021. According to reports made to the police, an argument escalated, during which Stewart’s wife alleged he pushed her against a wall and pointed a firearm at her neck. When their teenage son intervened, Stewart reportedly turned the firearm on him.

Stewart was charged on July 27, 2021, with two counts of common assault. He was initially charged indictably, but the prosecution, represented by state counsel Shenelle Kissoon, elected for a summary trial. Stewart, represented by attorney Jehan A Mohammed-Ali, pleaded not guilty to both counts.

At the time of the allegations, Stewart was attached to the Community Oriented Policing Secretariat of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).

During the trial, both virtual complainants—his wife and son—turned hostile, refusing to cooperate with the prosecution’s case. Additionally, under cross-examination, police officers admitted to tampering with the wife’s statement and forging her initials.

At the close of the prosecution’s case, Stewart exercised his right to remain silent. After considering the evidence and closing submissions, the court acquitted Stewart of both charges.

The initial charges, brought on the advice of Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, included a $70,000 bail condition requiring Stewart to stay 100 feet away from his wife and son and report weekly to the La Horquetta Police Station.

The TTPS Corporate Communications Unit had previously issued a media release confirming the charges and emphasising the role of the Gender-Based Violence Unit in the investigation.

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