THE actions of a police sergeant and his team have restored one woman’s faith in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) after she was attacked inside her St James home, though her praise comes as a surprise to the cop, as he maintains he was only doing his job.

In fact, Sergeant Gladstone Sealy’s actions have seemingly inspired Ashleigh-Ann Mowatt’s four-year-old daughter, who, earlier this year, dressed up as a police for career day activities at her school and now wants to become a member of the JCF when she grows up. She was with her mom at their home at the time of the attack in November last year.

“I’m very, very surprised, and I’m really happy to hear that,” Sealy told the Jamaica Observer last Friday when asked how he felt about the commendation from Mowatt. “I didn’t know that I was doing such a great job while doing my normal duty as a police officer.”

Mowatt said Sealy demonstrated exceptional professionalism, empathy, and diligence in handling the case, and has even continued to check in with her and her daughter monthly, although the case has been closed.

Sealy, who is now the station manager for Barrett Town Police Station in the western parish, said this is also how he advises those under his supervision to operate, as it is in keeping with the standards of the JCF.

“It is part of the training, and we know when it comes on to any sexual offence or attempt to, how traumatic that can be to the individual, so we always try to reassure the persons… The fact that she had a baby with her, that’s even more concerning, because the child is there and anything could’ve happened; you’re not sure if the child is seeing anything or how the child felt,” he said.

Mowatt, who asked to be identified by the Observer, said that she has decided not to live in fear and is sharing her story because she is now passionate about speaking up.

“Since this incident, my faith has been restored in the police, [specifically] Montego Bay’s Freeport police. Trust me when I tell you, I felt as if Sergeant Sealy rallied his team, so when he wasn’t around, it was somebody else… I’m not saying that I’m not concerned about the crime situation, [or] I’m not concerned about these incidents of break-ins, [but] I feel more empowered to help, to advocate, [and] to encourage women to speak up,” she said last Friday.

She added that there appears to be a more community-focused shift that is happening in the JCF.

“I think it is working lovely, and I just hope that it will help to eradicate some of the ills — the negativity that surrounds the JCF. They are working,” Mowatt said, adding that there are honourable and reputable police, and if more Jamaicans were aware of this they might be more inclined to seek justice and support the law enforcers.

“That’s what we need; it cannot be just the police, it can’t be just the Government; we have to do our part,” she insisted.

Recounting her ordeal, Mowatt said she was at home with her then three-year-old daughter last November when she got out of bed to use the bathroom. While there, she heard a loud sound in her bedroom. Fearful that her toddler had fallen off the bed, she rushed back to her room but was met at the entrance by a man who covered her mouth and pushed her into another bedroom.

“He pushed me and the force with which he did it I ended up on the wardrobe which had a mirror in it, and I remember it smashing,” she said, adding that she kept saying, “No! No!”, but it he did not appear to be stopping.

She said she tried to scream to alert her neighbours, but all that came out was a guttural sound.

“He pushed me down on the floor, tried to touch my vagina, he actually touched it; and I remember out of nowhere, after doing that, he turned and ran straight to my room. My daughter was lying on the bed so I ran after him because [I was thinking,] ‘You’re not going to take my daughter’… But by the time I got to the room he jumped back through the window and closed the gate,” she said.

Mowatt thinks he might’ve ran because the T-shirt he’d tied around his face had fallen off, but she is certain that God intervened in that moment.

After he ran, she started screaming, because it was possible he was still on the compound of the apartment complex.

“I remember my daughter saying, ‘Mommy, it’s okay,’ ” said Mowatt.

She admitted to the Observer the first person she called was her brother and not the police.

“Honestly, calling the police was not the first thing on my mind, because I live in Montego Bay, and I’ve heard about these things [break-ins] before; mi nuh have no confidence inna the police,” she recalled.

By then others in the complex had been alerted and they called the police.

Mowatt said Sealy and his team came to the location and he was understanding, very kind, and very patient with her because, at that time, she was experiencing both fear and anger.

Two weeks later, Sealy contacted her to say that the suspect had been apprehended, much to Mowatt’s surprise.

“We’ve had break-ins in the area before and nothing came out of it,” Mowatt said, adding that there is also the challenge of people willingly providing information to police but acknowledged that she understood why they might be reluctant to do so.

But for Sealy, a trained teacher who has been a member of the JCF for 21 years and has served in five divisions, including as an instructor at the National Police College of Jamaica, following through is second nature. He told the Observer that capturing the now convict was a team effort.

“I was filling in for an Inspector at the time, acting in the position, when I got the call from police emergency [centre] that someone had a robbery in progress… My colleagues and I went and tried and assured her that everything would be alright,” said Sealy.

He disclosed that, although he could’ve passed the case to the Criminal Investigations Branch, as he was assigned to traffic matters at the time, he decided to deal with it instead.

“I do my work because I love to do it, and I want the citizens to be happy. And, at the end of the day, when I walk on the street I don’t want anybody to say, ‘See dat policeman deh, him never help me,’ and I always try to help,” he explained.

It was that help, his professionalism, empathy, and diligence in handling the case that reassured Mowatt and made navigating the process — from her attacker being charged to him being brought before the court, entering a guilty plea, and receiving a one-year imprisonment suspended for two years for house breaking and six months’ imprisonment suspended for one year for assault with intent to rape — manageable.

In a letter Mowatt said she sent to Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake, she said Sealy kept her thoroughly informed about every development in the case, which was an immense relief.

“Even after the trial concluded with a suspended sentence — a disappointing outcome for me — Sergeant Sealy went above and beyond his call of duty. He has maintained monthly check-ins with my daughter and me, providing reassurance and support every time.

“His consistent presence has truly helped my anxiety. He and his team showed an incredible understanding of my pain and made deliberate efforts to help my daughter and me recover from this traumatic incident. His compassion, combined with an increased police presence in my community… have allowed us to begin healing. After one year, my confidence has been restored and I feel the courage now to share my experience with you,” Mowatt said in the letter.

She told the Observer that her family’s support has also been tremendous and that at no point during the process, and even after, did she feel like Sergeant Sealy did not have her back.

“I felt he did exactly what he said he would do, and more,” she said.

Sergeant Gladstone Sealy presents a package to a boy during an outreach activity in St James.

SEALY… I do my work because I love to do it, and I want the citizens to be happy

Ashleigh-Ann Mowatt’s daughter in her career day attire as a police officer.