Greenwood-Henry, Sharon v The Attorney General of Jamaica

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE OF JAMAICA JAMAICA

CLAIM NO CL G 116 OF 1999

BETWEEN SHARON GREENWOOD-HENRY CLAIMANT

AND THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF JAMAICA DEFENDANT

Mr. Lawton Heywood for the claimant

Mr. Garfield Haisley instructed by the Director of State Proceedings for the

defendant

October 19 and 26,2005

f* \I L

FALSE IMPRISONMENT, ASSAULT AND BAlTERY, AGGRAVATED, EXEMPLARY

AND VINDICATORY DAMAGES

SY KES J

1.The war on drugs has claimed many victims. In this case, the victim was Mrs.

Sharon Greenwood-Henry, a hard working, respectable, law-abiding citizen of

Jamaica without even the whiff of criminality. On December 4, 1998, she was

scheduled to depart from the Norman Manley International Airport, an airport

named after one of Jamaica's most distinguished sons and National Hero, at

10:05pm. She was on her way to London, England. She was accompanying a friend

who was to have surgical treatment in the United Kingdom. This mercy mission

came to an abrupt and inglol-ious end at about 8:30pm when she was pulled from

the line by Corporal Oriel Wilson of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Corporal

Wilson drew no inspiration from Mr. Manley.

2. The claimant was eventually taken to the police station at the airport and then to

that most famous of hospitals, the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). She was x-rayed,

"laxitised" and then released midday the following day. All this in the name of

detecting drugs. As it turned out no drugs were found - not even trace amounts of

any kind of illegal substance. I might add that during this entire ordeal she did not

have the advice of counsel, friend or relatives.