Police inspector Dadrick Henry is to be sentenced on March 11 for assault charges stemming from the beating of a patron at a dance in Allman Town, Kingston, in September 2006.

Resident Magistrate Maxine Ellis convicted him yesterday of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The complainant testified in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court that he was at the dance when Henry and a woman had a dispute. He said he intervened and Henry used a gun to beat him all over his body.

bruises and abrasions

A doctor testified that he examined the complainant who had bruises and abrasions to his body.

Henry, who is attached to the Central Police Station, denied beating the complainant. He said he got a report from Police Radio Control that the Noise Abatement Act was being breached at a dance in Allman Town.

Henry said he and other policemen went to the dance. He said someone touched him while he was there and and he pushed off the person.

A police officer who was called as a defence witness said he was at the dance and Henry did not beat the complainant.

involved in a dispute

Henry was one of the policemen who was involved in a dispute with popular medical doctor Jephthah Ford at a function at Fun Citi in April 2007.

The police claimed that Ford attacked the police and discharged his licensed firearm. Ford said he was badly beaten by the police when he intervened during a dispute between the police and one of his relatives who was being beaten by the police.

Ford was charged with illegal possession of firearm, shooting with intent and assault but he was freed in the Gun Court in July 2009 because the charges could not be substantiated.