Special Corporal Leonard Nelson, who had 25 years' service in the police force, was on Friday sentenced to four years' imprisonment for inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Nelson, 43, had used a baton to hit a man in the face. The man was taken to hospital where the right eye was removed during surgery.

A Home Circuit Court jury convicted him on Tuesday of the offence and acting Justice Martin Gayle put off sentencing until Friday. The judge said he would have sent Nelson to prison for seven years but he took into account the character evidence which was given on his behalf.

The Crown, represented by Maxine Ellis, Crown counsel, led evidence that on August 27, 2005, Nelson inflicted the injury on 35-year-old taxi operator Kevin Dower, of Greater Portmore, St Catherine. Dower was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where the right eye was removed during surgery.

Restricted area

Dower testified that, on the day of the incident, he and two other men went to the Norman Manley International Airport to pick up two children who were coming from abroad.

The flight was delayed for several hours and they went into a restricted area to search for the children. Nelson told him that he was in a restricted area and was going to arrest him.

He tried to explain to Nelson that he was searching for the children, but Nelson would not listen to him.

Nelson grabbed him at the waist and proceeded to take him to the police station. He told Nelson he was suffering discomfort because of the manner in which he was being held and Nelson hit him in the face.