Police officers charged with setting teenager on fire, granted bail

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Thursday July 17, 2014, CMC – Six police officers charged with setting a teenager on fire were granted bail when they appeared in court on Wednesday.

The six were charged with misbehaviour in public office by unlawfully and maliciously inflicting harm on Jamerson John,18 in December, 2013 while he was in police custody.

It is alleged that police officers stripped John to his underpants, doused him with methylated spirits and set him alight after he refused to confess to robbing two people and breaking into a house.

John was hospitalised for burns to his torso, leg and genital area.

The six police officers were granted bail amounting to TT$300,000.

They are scheduled to reappear in court on Friday.

Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)

View the original article here

Police officers charged with setting teenager on fire, granted bail

Teenager suffers from short-term memory loss

UNTIL three years ago, Ricky Dean, from Taunton in Somerset, rarely left his family home, because he could never remember where he was going.

Ricky has severe problems with his memory and because he has no sense of time, even if he can remember doing something, he cannot remember when he did it.His home is now full of lists of what he needs to do and when – like the character played by Guy Pearce in the film ‘Memento’.Doctors say there is no name for his condition and despite his problems he has still gained five GCSEs.Ricky said: “It can be very difficult at times, but my family and friends are so supportive.“My mates are constantly having a joke about it, which is good, telling me I borrowed a tenner from them the week before.“I can never remember if I have or not, so I make a list and if they’re just winding me up I get my own back.”Ricky Dean has almost no short-term memory so must remind himself with notes and alarms to carry out the simplest tasks. His blackboard outlines his morning routine — consisting of a shower and shave, walking the dog and then having lunch.He has notices all over his home and even carries a card in his wallet to advise him how to cope if he doesn’t remember where he is.“My condition can be so frustrating for people, especially if they don’t understand that I just don’t remember anything to do with time.“If I didn’t have my lists, telling me to brush my teeth or have lunch, I would be lost.“The worst thing is missing appointments with friends and forgetting good things, I can’t look forward to anything, because I have no concept of time.”As a child, Ricky was diagnosed with autism, but when he was 11 his parents took him for a full memory scan which revealed the full extent of his memory loss.Ricky Dean, 19, was starved of oxygen when he was born.Dean’s mother, Nicki said: “We knew something was wrong when he was seven. To get a diagnosis was a relief, because we had been saying all this time that he wasn’t doing all these things because he wanted to.“We try to promote independence but tasks such as cooking or running a bath present too much risk, because he wouldn’t know whether the oven or bath hadn’t been on for five hours or five minutes.”Ricky has severe problems with his memory and because he has no sense of time, even if he can remember doing something, he cannot remember when he did it.

View the original article here

Teenager suffers from short-term memory loss

US teenager admits killing referee

5 August 2013 Last updated at 21:10 ET Ricardo Portillo’s daughters spoke to reporters after the hearing A US teenager who killed a soccer referee by punching him in the head has pleaded guilty to homicide by assault.

Ricardo Portillo, 46, died after a week spent in a coma following the assault during a game in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The 17-year-old player, who will be convicted as a juvenile as part of a plea deal, struck Portillo in April as he called a foul on him.

The teenager told a court he acted impulsively, but took full responsibility for the death.

Speaking calmly during Monday’s hearing, he said to Portillo’s family: “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done.”

Continue reading the main story

I don’t think you’ll ever understand how much pain and suffering you made us go through”

End Quote Ana Portillo Football referee’s daughter A juvenile judge has ordered the teenager, who has not been identified because of his age, to put up a picture in his cell of Portillo and to write the dead man’s daughters a letter every week, in order to be reminded of the pain he has caused the family.

He faces up to just over three years in prison, until he turns 21. His eventual prison term will be decided by a juvenile parole board.

The adult charge of homicide by assault carried up to a five-year prison sentence.

Two of the football referee’s three daughters spoke in court on Monday, saying their father’s death had destroyed the family.

“I don’t think you’ll ever understand how much pain and suffering you made us go through,” said Ana Portillo, 21.

“We just wish you had taken a deep breath before you did what you did. You have to change.”

According to a police report, the incident happened during a game at a high school in a suburb of Salt Lake City.

After the assault, Ricardo Portillo sat down and began vomiting blood

The teenager was playing as a goalkeeper when Portillo showed him a yellow card for shoving a player on the opposing team who was attempting to score.

After arguing with the referee, the teenager punched him. Portillo sat down and began vomiting blood.

He was taken to hospital and slipped into a coma with swelling on his brain.

Prosecutors said the juvenile charge plea deal was fair, but the Salt Lake County district attorney’s office originally said they wanted the accused tried as an adult due to the seriousness of the assault, and because he was set to turn 18 in less than three months.

View the original article here

US teenager admits killing referee

Teenager Hull in top 10 Masters finish

-16: K Webb (Aus)-15: A Simon (SA)-14: C Masson (Ger)Selected others: -8 C Hull (Eng); -6 T Johnson (Eng), P Pretswell (Sco); -5 C Woods (US)English prospect Charley Hull warmed up for the British Open with a top 10 finish at the Ladies European Masters, eight shots behind winner Karrie Webb.

Hull, 17, had been well placed to secure her first professional win at one stage but carded a final round 74 

Australia’s Webb won by a single shot ahead of South Africa’s Ashleigh Simon.

Cheyenne Woods, Tiger’s niece, will have to try to reach the Open in final qualifying at Kingsbarns Golf Club on Monday after finishing joint 16th.

Hull is in contention to make her Solheim Cup debut for Europe against the United States in Colorado next month after a highly impressive debut season as a professional.

But on Sunday she failed to repeat the good form she displayed in first two rounds at the Masters, when she shot 68 and 66 respectively at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club.

The Women’s British Open starts at St Andrews on Thursday.

View the original article here

Teenager Hull in top 10 Masters finish