STANLEY CHARLES IS ON TRIAL

British-trained journalist Grenadian Stanley Charles has again pleaded not guilty to a charge of sedition brought against him by state prosecutors.

Charles appeared before acting resident High Court Judge Lyle St. Paul last Tuesday morning at the start of the Assizes and told the court that he was not guilty after an officer of the Court read the charge to him.

The journalist was accompanied by his lawyers Ruggles Ferguson and Peter David of Ciboney Chambers in St. George's as he appeared before the high court judge. The case is expected to be heard at a later date in the assizes.

Charles was allowed to remain free on bail, as there was no objection to the request by the Prosecution. Charles was arrested by local police almost three years ago after he had allegedly uttered "seditious words" in connection with the downfall of the Keith-Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government following the resignation of External Affairs Minister Dr. Raphael Fletcher in late 1998. He claimed that certain persons relating to the government were planning to assassinate Dr. Fletcher.

After Prime Minister Mitchell was returned to power in the January 19, 1999 general election, police moved in and arrested Charles for sedition. He was placed on bail and a few months later left the island for Canada where he resided for several months.

In the summer of 2002, Charles returned home for his father's funeral and was picked up by police officers on an outstanding bench warrant. He was remanded in custody by Chief Magistrate Patricia Mark and later committed to stand trial for the offence in the current assizes.

The controversial radio talk show personality while on remand at the Richmond Hill Prison led a public one-man protest calling for better prison conditions in accordance with existing human rights laws. He told the local media that conditions at the prison were so terrible that words cannot be found to describe it.

Charles also exposed the level of homosexuality in the prison, the type of food given to inmates, and the terrible living and health conditions in the prison. The conditions there, he said were in contravention of existing human rights legislation.

Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man from Mt. Rose in St. Patrick's was sentenced on Monday to ten years in prison by acting High Court Judge, Justice St. Paul. The judge imposed the jail sentence on the accused after he pleaded guilty to four (4) counts of Incest. The case was presented for the Crown by Acting Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Christopher Nelson.

The court was told that the accused that fathered the two victims from as far back as 1998 to 1999 and 2001 was having an adult relationship with his two daughters. The State contended that the father was at first engaged in the relationship with his eight-year-old daughter from 1998 to 1999 and in 2001 he began to prey on his ten-year-old daughter.

It is understood that the children later broke the terrible news after which the (DPP) spoke to the children's mother and both the Division of Social Welfare and the Police were called in. Appearing before a packed court-room, the accused pleaded guilty Monday to all four counts of Incest and was given ten years on each count to run concurrently following mitigation by his lawyer Peter David.