Cops accuse Bryan of anger and aggression

Kenneth Bryan on the PPM campaign trail 2013

(CNS): Four police officers have described the premier’s former political assistant, Kenneth Bryan, as angry and aggressive during an incident at a West Bay Road nightclub last year. As the case against him for disorderly conduct and assaulting police opened in Summary Court Wednesday, Bryan denied the charges stemming from an altercation in October 2014. The incident began when he went to the assistance of an off-duty female police officer, who told the court that Bryan had “done the right thing” that night to help her in the face of an aggressive and violent former boyfriend.

But on-duty officers that night claimed Bryan was “out of control” and interfering with their work at the Dream Nightclub, shouting and swearing at police and invading their personal space, as they justified his arrest.

Four police officers all accused Bryan of using a string of profanities and trying to obstruct them when they arrested one of two men they believed were involved in a fight. But one of those men was Jermaine Seymour, the man who had assaulted DC Karen McQuaid, the female officer who had sought Bryan’s help, and he was not the man officers arrested.

Instead of arresting the man who assaulted their female colleague, they opted to arrest Tyrone Chantilope, a man who had assisted Bryan when he too was threatened by Seymour.

Bryan was attempting to prevent the police from arresting the wrong man when he had an exchange with some of the officers present, it was revealed in court. His concern was that Seymour, the man who had been troubling the female detective, appeared to be getting away because officers were focused on the wrong person.

It was later confirmed that Seymour, despite having a warrant out for his arrest and having a history of assaulting McQuaid, did get away and was never arrested that night, while both Bryan and Chantilope were taken to the George Town Police Station. Giving their evidence about events to the court, the officers all told the same story.

They claimed that Bryan was aggressive and “very disrespectful” and threatening towards them as he pointed, swore and stood too close to them. The officers all stated that, despite repeated warnings, Bryan would not step back from the situation.

Officers said Bryan was told if he did not stop swearing, he would be arrested.

When he uttered the word “bumbaclot”, PC Myers, one of several officers at the scene, then arrested him for assault and disorderly conduct. Although there were several officers around, none of them arrested Seymour, who made his escape, even though officers admitted he had been extremely aggressive and acted violently towards Chantilope.

The court heard, however, that a few months later he assaulted McQuaid again after causing another disturbance at a different nightclub. He was eventually convicted of a catalog of offences relating to his assaults on the police officer and jailed.

Detective McQuaid told the court how Bryan had come to her assistance on the night in question and had found himself facing her ex-partner’s aggression but he had helped her, allowing her to get away from her violent former partner.

McQuaid also revealed that in the days following the incident she was aware that the police commissioner had received correspondence, or a telephone call, from the premier’s office asking about the incident, in which his political assistant had been arrested while coming to the aid of a police officer. Although Bryan’s legal team had requested the details of that correspondence from the crown, the prosecution has not disclosed the information, claiming that they were unable to trace any such documentation.

In the wake of the arrest Bryan was suspended from his politically appointed post in the premier’s office, but after a few months Premier Alden McLaughlin announced he was sacking Bryan as his suspension had meant constituency work was being neglected.

The case was adjourned Wednesday evening before the crown completed presenting its evidence. But due to a packed court docket the trial will not now continue until 11 November, when Magistrate McFarlane will continue hearing evidence.