Manderson’s father elaborates on sons’ arrests

Chief Magistrate Nova Hall yesterday remanded Justin Manderson, 19, into custody at Northward, denying him bail on charges of threatening violence and disorderly conduct.

He is due back in court next Tuesday, following the arrest of both himself and his brother Jordan, 18, after last week’s Thursday-morning raid at the Cinder Lane, West Bay, home of father Jake Manderson, 47.

Officers detained the younger son on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and possession of an unlicenced firearm in connection with the 13 September shooting death of Robert Bush at the junction of Birch Tree Hill Road and Captains Joe and Osbert Road.

Police arrested the older brother for threatening violence and disorderly behaviour during the raid.

Yesterday, father Jake Manderson accused police of battering Justin, hitting him on the head with the butt of a gun, requiring stitches to his head at the George Town hospital. The incident, he claimed, was only the latest in a series of attacks and threats against the two boys.

“They keep after my children, harassing them because they don’t like them. I am fed up with it and I am angry,” he said.
Mr Manderson elaborated on charges made late last week after the early morning raid, adding that the head injuries were part of a pattern of police treatment of the boys.

Nearly a dozen officers, he said, had torn apart his house, the house of the boys’ mother and his own mother’s home, sparking a life-threatening attack of high blood pressure in the elderly
Mrs Manderson.

“At 5:30, the officers came and stood outside my window in black masks. They did not identify themselves, shouting ‘get up, get up’. There was one person with a handgun and a group of others standing outside in the yard with a flashlight. I thought some shooters or someone had come to look for me, so I hit the floor.

“Between six and eight officers stormed through his door, he said, “and it’s a real small house, only three rooms. They took me out of the house and chased me down to the end of the road while they searched under the beds, up under the ceiling, everything.”

Held at the corner of the road while police turned over the house, Mr Manderson watched as police finished, then called others to renew the hunt.

“When they were done, they called another four CID officers and these other guys came in and went through everything: my refrigerator, the shelves, my suitcases, my kitchen. They even opened up my sugar jar and went through it grain-by-grain.
“I told them I had to go to work by 7:00, so they stayed until 10 minutes, maybe five minutes, before 7:00. They were in the house about an hour-and-a-half.”

Leaving without Jordan Manderson, however, sought for arrest under Justice of the Peace Louis Ebanks 20 January warrant, police went to the home of Mr Manderson’s mother.

“They went to my mother’s house, and she’s a little older. They chucked her air-conditioning unit out of the window, and broke into the house. They woke her up and went into the beds, and right through the house.”

Still failing to find Jordan Manderson, raiders visited the home of his mother, arresting the younger brother, as per the warrant, and the older for resisting the encroachment and harassing police.

“They had the two boys in two police cars,” Mr Manderson said. “They took the handle of a gun and hit Jordan in the head, because he was cursing. They carried him to the hospital to get stitches “

Meanwhile, he said, police took Jordan for an interview at the George Town Police Station, then moved him to the West Bay Police Station, then returned him to George Town for a second interrogation “with two other individuals who wanted to talk to him”.

Only weeks ago, Mr Manderson said, police had similarly assailed Justin, returning from a day in North Side.

“Justin and a couple of friends were coming down from Rum Point and he was sleeping in the front seat. The police saw him and stopped the car. They walked over to him, put a gun to this temple and said ‘get up and don’t open your mouth.’ He grabbed the gun, pushed it away, trying to defend himself.”

Jordan, he said, was in the next car. Police searched both vehicles, “and tore them apart. I’m fed up with this,” Mr Manderson said. Police yesterday acknowledged the charges, but rejected any responsibility for Justin Manderson’s injuries.

“We can confirm that the male sustained an injury during an altercation the previous evening in East End which is currently being investigated by police. We strongly refute any allegation that the injury was caused by an RCIPS officer,” a spokeswoman said.

“However, as previously stated in response to earlier allegations made by the family, if anyone feels they have cause for complaint we would encourage them to contact our Professional Standards Unit and the allegations will be fully investigated.”