KINGSTON, Jamaica — A police sergeant who was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm walked out of court a free man after the Crown offered no evidence against him when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday.

The accused, whose name is Dalbert Bryan, appeared before Judge Cole-Monteque.

Allegations are that on March 8, 2013, the accused was on traffic enforcement duty in the North Parade area, downtown Kingston. The complainant allegedly solicited passengers on a pedestrian crossing in violation of the road code. When the accused man approached him, the complainant sped off. He was apprehended in Vineyard Town by other police officers. When the accused arrived on the scene, he ticketed the complainant. It is alleged that this was when the complainant was assaulted by the accused cop.

Submissions were made by Duke Foote, appearing on behalf of Able-Don Foote, that on the four mention dates prior to now, the accused had not attended court and that not only did this amount to a waste of precious judicial time, but that the sergeant’s profession was in jeopardy.

The investigating officer also provided an additional statement detailing unsuccessful efforts in locating the complainant. At the end of Foote’s submissions, the Crown offered no evidence.