A police officer who was charged with assaulting the brother of a woman police officer will receive $115,000 in damages for malicious prosecution.

Master Sherlanne Pierre made the compensation award to PC Jason Reece as she assessed the quantum of damages he should receive after judgment in default was entered in his favour.

In his lawsuit, Reece, Tarouba Heights, Marabella, said he was charged nine months after an altercation with a man and his uncle at his mother’s home in Battoo Avenue.

His claim alleged the man’s sister, a police officer, and a senior superintendent in the Southern Division, who was allegedly in a romantic relationship with the woman police officer, “abused their authority” by having Reece charged.

Reece said he was charged sometime in April 2013, some nine months after the incident involving the man and his uncle at his mother’s home.

He said the man told the police he did not want to pursue the matter, and had the charging office, PC Francois, done a proper investigation, he would have found there was no reasonable cause to prosecute him.

Reece said he suffered stress, embarrassment and a substantial loss of earnings because he was suspended for five years before a San Fernando magistrate dismissed the common assault charge on April 19, 2018.

He also said his suspension was not until four months after his case was dismissed.

At the time he filed his lawsuit, on January 15, 2020, his uniform and police identification card had not been returned to him, so he was not fully equipped for the job. Newsday understands they were eventually returned and he is now assigned to the Couva district.

At the time of the incident, he was assigned to the Inter Agency Task Force.

Reece’s lawsuit said at the time he was charged, he was never told of it, but heard from a colleague there was a warrant out for his arrest, so that he had to go to the court and process office in San Fernando to find out more.

He said because he was well known on the task force, there would have been no difficulty in finding him to tell him about the charge. The lawsuit also contends the warrant was unnecessary and was an act of malice.

Reece was represented by attorneys Joel Roper, Gerard Boodram and Keith Beckles.