Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay the sum of $1.8 million to the estate of 52-year-old mechanic Eric David Black of Runaway Bay, St. Ann for breaches of his constitutional rights.
Mr. Black was beaten to death by three policemen at the Rio Bueno Police Station in Trelawny on September 9, 1995. Black's body was dumped at sea after he was beaten. The decomposed body was found five days later floating at sea at Falmouth, Trelawny.
Attorney-at-law Matthew Hogarth, of the law firm Livingston, Alexander and Levy, asked the court for a substantial award for constitutional redress because Black was deprived of his life as the policemen who had the responsibility to protect him had caused his death.
RECOVERING DAMAGES
Mr. Justice Patrick Brooks heard the suit and ruled yesterday that the government should pay Black's estate $1.8 million for constitutional redress.
When Black died in 1995, he left a two-year-old son who was dependent on him for support. The Administrator General brought the suit against the Attorney-General to recover damages.
The judge also awarded $50,000 for loss of expectation of life and general damages of $300,000 which include pain and suffering and aggravated damages. The estate was also awarded $60,000 for legal costs.
PARTY CONFLICT
Three policemen were convicted for Black's murder in October 1999 and sentenced to life imprisonment. They were Sergeant Billy West and District Constables Rudolph Dodd and Karl Wauchorpe. The men appealed against their convictions and sentences and the Court of Appeal in 2001 substituted a manslaughter conviction and sentenced them each to 10 years imprisonment.
Black had gone to Rio Bueno on September 9, 1995, to celebrate his birthday. He could not find his car keys and he and one of his two friends had an argument. The police were called to intervene and Dodd and Wauchorpe decided to take them to the station because Black appeared to be drunk. Black and Wauchorpe had an argument and Wauchorpe boxed Black and accused him of being feisty. When Black was taken to the station he was beaten by the policemen .
