BELMOPAN, Belize (CMC) Lawyers representing Police Inspector Christopher Martinez, who was sentenced to jail in September, say they intend to file an appeal in the High Court after a magistrate court struck down a move to pause his sentence.

Martinez, was handed a five-month prison sentence after admitting to wounding detainee, Aaron Flowers. His attorney, Hubert Errington, argues that by the time the appeal is heard, Martinez will have already served his full sentence.

Errington said his client had applied to the chief magistrate to grant a stay of the sentence, because if he was to remain in prison until the appeal he filed against the sentence is heard, “this would mean that his constitutional right for a fair trial within a reasonable time, as is guaranteed to every Belizean, would be seriously violated.

“Apparently, the magistrate believes that there is still time within the Court of Appeal might hear the appeal right away. Therefore, there is still time that his constitutional and legal right is preserved.”

The attorney said that his client is “therefore left with no option but to go right away to the High Court to ask for a stay or that his appeal be heard immediately”.

Flowers said Martinez struck him on the head with a padlock while he was in custody. It is alleged that Inspector Martinez inflicted the injury on Flowers when he discovered that Flowers was the person who allegedly opened fire at his residence with a firearm.

When he appeared in court in June, Flowers said that he has been harassed repeatedly and offered bribes by fellow police officers to drop the charges against Martinez.

Police Commissioner Chester Williams said then that while Martinez took full responsibility for what he did “I personally believe that the sentence is excessive in nature”.