Bermudian policeman Robert Butterfield was cleared on charges that he used threatening behaviour against his stepson’s father.
Magistrate Tyrone Chin handed down his 16 page ruling on the case stemming from a confrontation that occurred one year ago today, in the parking lot outside of Warwick Academy.
The officer was accused of confronting Collingwood ‘Cooley’ Robinson, but Magistrate Chin ruled that he had had been “somewhat economical with the truth”.
Mr Robinson, in his testimony, alleged that the defendant approached him, touched his face and said: “I will f**k you up. You don’t know me. If it wasn’t for my job, I would have f****d you up.”
He told the court dealing with Mr Butterfield over the years “was a living nightmare”. But the Magistrate said Mr Robinson’s account “did not match up to the DVD video footage”.
He noted that the alleged “touch on the chin is not seen in the video”, although Mr Robinson said the defendant used his left index finger, and that he was standing so close that he could smell the officer’s breath “right in his face” when he did it.
Mr Butterfield testified that Mr Robinson had verbally abused him repeatedly while harassing him for years.
Mr Chin, in his ruling said the confrontation started with Mr Robinson approaching the defendant and calling him a child molester in front of his children.
While Mr Robinson accepted parts of the recording supported his case, Mr Chin said he claimed that it had been altered at the same time when it conflicted with his testimony.
And in that regard, the Magistrate said the evidence did not support the Crown’s case.
