The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

ONE of the plaintiffs in an alleged police abuse case was pressed yesterday during cross-examination about details of his alleged mistreatment while in custody at the Governor’s Harbour Police Station in Eleuthera in January 2018.

Kenton Fines, one of three plaintiffs in the case, previously testified that police officers beat him, poured hot sauce in his eyes, and simulated drowning him in the station’s shower by placing cargo pants over his face under running water. He claimed he was held in custody for three days without charge and never received an apology for his alleged ordeal.

During cross-examination, defence attorney Luana Ingraham challenged aspects of Mr Fines’ account. She asked how he could be certain that officers had used cargo pants on him in the shower if his eyes had already been affected by the alleged hot sauce incident. Mr Fines responded that although his vision was blurry, he could still see the pants.

He further stated that his eyes worsened in the shower, and he later realised he had pus in them after wiping his face upon returning to his cell.

Mr Fines confirmed that he was examined by Dr Smith at a clinic in Eleuthera, where the doctor noted lacerations on his wrists and ankles — injuries he said were caused by struggling against handcuffs. He was also referred to an eye specialist for conjunctivitis in his left eye, allegedly caused by the hot sauce.

Ms Ingraham questioned why, despite claiming sensitivity to light and difficulty seeing distant objects, Mr Fines never obtained prescription glasses. He acknowledged that he visited Dr Rodger, an eye doctor in New Providence, who prescribed him glasses in 2018 — something he had never needed before the alleged abuse. However, he admitted that he never purchased the glasses, saying they were too expensive.

Mr Fines also confirmed that he was given antibiotic ointment and eye drops but eventually stopped using them. He read a medical statement that indicated no permanent eye damage was expected from his condition.

During re-examination, his attorney, Fred Smith, KC, asked him why he still had not gotten glasses. Mr Fines reiterated that they were costly but mentioned that a follow-up visit at a Harbour Island facility reaffirmed his need for them.

Mr Fines also clarified details about his arrest, stating that while in custody, a police officer mentioned that a gas station had been robbed.

When he asked what that had to do with him, he said he received a vague response. He maintained that he had no prior knowledge of the robbery before being taken into custody.

Following this exchange, Mr Smith closed the plaintiffs’ case but reserved his closing submissions until after the defence concluded its case.

The plaintiffs, Chavette Strachan, Dale Gibson Jr, and Kenton Fines, allege that they were subjected to abuse by police officers while being held between January 19 and 23, 2018, during an investigation into an armed robbery at C & AA Service Station in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, which resulted in the fatal shooting of employee Joel Stubbs.

During previous testimony in September 2021, Ms Strachan tearfully recounted how officers allegedly threatened her, saying she would “hang” herself if she didn’t give the right answers. She claimed she was kicked to the ground while handcuffed, suffocated with a plastic bag, and had hot sauce poured into her eyes.

Ms Strachan further alleged that an officer named Munroe, whom she identified as one of her abusers, conducted an interview with her the next day.

Ms Strachan and Mr Gibson are represented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson, while Mr Fines is represented by Fred Smith, KC.

Justice Leron Klein is presiding over the case.