NDEA communiqué: Six convicted for assaulting NDEA agents |03 February 2014

Six individuals from Corgate Estate have been convicted for an assault on a four-man National Drugs Enforcement Agency (NDEA) patrol that occurred on the morning of July 10, 2012.

On January 31, 2014, the six persons from the Corgate Estate area appeared before the Supreme Court charged with a number of serious assaults on four agents who had been investigating suspicious activity that was being conducted in a house on the estate.

During the course of the assault all of the agents were attacked with a variety of weapons and implements and one of the agents was kicked in the back and requires ongoing medical attention. In addition extensive damage costing thousands of rupees to repair was caused to the vehicle in which the agents were travelling.

Having heard the evidence in the case, which was conducted over several hearings, Judge Burham convicted all of the six accused.

Naddy Dubois, his partner Marie Jean and son Shelton Jean were each sentenced to 11 years imprisonment after they were convicted of three charges of assault and damaging property. Their teenage son was sentenced to probation for two years.

Andrew Sophola and Vincent Marie were each sentenced to two years for damage to state property.

At the conclusion of the case the judge commended the agents for the considerable restraint shown by them during the course of such a vicious assault.