Charges Re-Considered after Death of Demetrio Pott
Joseph Myvett
Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions are in a pickle tonight because they are revisiting manslaughter charges slapped against three men in Orange Walk. Last Thursday, twenty-six-year-old immigration officer Leodegario Chan, twenty-four-year-old welder Carlos Westby and twenty-eight-year-old Delthran Perez, all of Trial Farm Village, were first jointly charged with the crime of Dangerous Harm for the beat down of Demetrio Pott on April twenty-seventh following an accident in the village. Within days, the charge was upgraded to manslaughter because Pott succumbed to his injuries after almost two weeks at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. But was their decision hastily made? The results of a postmortem now indicate that Pott died from septic shock, due to multiple organs failure due to whiplash syndrome caused by the accident? ACP Joseph Myvett explains:
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
“The post mortem results for that is saying that he died from whiplash syndrome.”
Reporter
“What does that mean sir?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Well we did not get a clarification from the doctor. So what we are doing is that we are submitting the postmortem results to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution in order for her to make a determination.”
Duane Moody
“Sir so what happens now because these three persons were initially charged for wounding and dangerous harm? I believe days later that charge was upgraded to manslaughter. Given the results of the postmortem, it would indicate that the beat down did not cause the death of Mister Demetrio Pott. So is that charge going to be rescinded? What happens now?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Well it is not for the police to determine whether or not the charges will be rescinded hence the reason why I said that the postmortem results will be submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution for them to make a determination.”
The three men were released on bail and are now awaiting a decision from the Office of the D.P.P.
