DONOVAN ‘Hucks’ O’Connor, the controversial police inspector who was in December 2005 ordered retired by the Police Services Commission (PSC) “in the interest of the public” allegedly following more than 30 complaints of misconduct against him, was Tuesday ordered reinstated by the Supreme Court.

Justice Donald McIntosh said that the decision to retire the 29-year police veteran was ultra vires (outside the power of the PCS) and issued a writ of Certiorari squashing the December 1, 2005 decision.

“The effect of that is that Inspector O’Connor is free to serve the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” attorney Burt Samuels, of Knight, Junior and Samuels, told the Observer yesterday.

The decision of the PSC to retire the cop, who was then assigned to the Half-Way-Tree Police Station, was based on some 35 allegations of misconduct brought by members of the public against the cop over a five-year period.

But court action by O’Connor in 2006 blocked the leave from coming into effect until the matter was settled.

Samuels argued in court some five weeks ago that of the 35 complaints against his client, only two were specified – putting his client in a position that would make it difficult for him to defend himself.

The years of the complaints, complainants and the nature of 33 of the complaints were not outlined.

The only two complaints outlined in the hearing that concluded some five weeks ago alleged that O’Connor punched a person during a motor vehicle accident and that on another occasion, he threatened to hurt a female and charged her for offences she never committed, following an altercation.