By STACY MOORE Tuesday, March 19 2013

click on pic to zoom in

LEAVING COURT: Soca artiste Rodney 'Benjai' Le Blanc leaves the San Fernando Magistrates Court yesterday with his lawyer Shalini Khan. Le Blanc is cha...

POLICE Constable Valentine Eastman yesterday told a San Fernando magistrate that soca artiste Rodney “Benjai” Le Blanc spat in his face.

Under cross-examination in the First Court before Magistrate Natalie Diop, PC Eastman said while placing Benjai in a marked police vehicle, he (Benjai) “spat on me straight in my face.” Le Blanc is charged with assaulting Eastman on December 18, 2010 at San Fernando Hill during the, “Funky Monkey Cooler Fete.”

Yesterday, Eastman testified that after Le Blanc spat on him, he (Eastman) detected a scent of alcohol emanating from Le Blanc’s breath. The court heard that Le Blanc told Eastman twice, in a loud voice, “I am a high science man and I will deal with you personally!” Le Blanc, the court heard, was placed in the police vehicle and taken to the Mon Repos Police Station.

Eastman said earlier, in his evidence, that he was on duty at the foot of the Hill when at about 1.05 am, he heard via a sound system that Le Blanc was being introduced to the stage. During his performance, Eastman said he heard Le Blanc say, “you all fix the (expletive) mike. I will get lock up tonight.”

Eastman said as a result of this utterance, he left the main entrance and proceeded to the area of the main stage. On reaching the main stage, Eastman told the court, he saw Ag Cpl Anthony Wolfe and four other officers speaking to a man. “Officers were speaking to a gentleman who was stocky, brown skin, oval face, side burns, mustache beard, broad nose, large ears, broad mouth. Also wearing a blue jeans and multi-coloured striped shirt,” Eastman testified. Prosecutor Sgt Marlon Bruce asked Eastman to look around the courtroom and point out the person who he had just described in evidence. Eastman looked around the courtroom and then pointed at Le Blanc who sat on a bench in front the holding cell area. Eastman said after having a conversation with Cpl Wolfe, Le Blanc was handcuffed.

Eastman said as he was about to place the soca artiste in a police vehicle, the artiste spat in his face. Le Blanc’s counsel Shalini Khan said she and her client are experiencing difficulty in obtaining medical records at the San Fernando General Hospital, relating to the case. Khan requested that a summons be issued to the Hospital’s record keeper to have the medical report available.

The magistrate made a note. The case was adjourned to April 3.