Charges dismissed against Broomes, driver

City Magistrate, Dylon Bess on Thursday dismissed several charges against Simona Broomes – a former APNU+AFC government minister – and her driver, Dexter Austin, who were accused of abusing/assaulting a Councillor attached to the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).

Last August, Broomes and Austin were first arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ and were released on self-bail after denying the charges.

The first charge alleged that the duo on August 3, 2020, at Sophia used threatening language towards Dion Younge; the second charge also alleged that the duo unlawfully retrained Younge, while a joint charge alleged that Broomes and Austin caused public terror.

Broomes was charged separately with assaulting Younge while Austin was charged for discharging a firearm within 100 yards of public space.

When the duo appeared in court on Thursday for the continuation of the case, Magistrate Bess informed them that the charges will be dismissed due to the negligence of the Court Prosecutor, who did not have the file, thus stymying progress.

On August 3, 2020, the former government minister took to a Facebook Livestream while she was in pursuit of two men who had ripped off ‘No fishing’ signs from her private property.

Broomes and her driver trailed the men in their motorcar all the way from her Meadowbrook house to the Sophia area where she confronted them.

In the video, Broomes alleged that the men wanted to show who was in power and running the country. She also claimed that the men even threatened her with a gun.