Gov’t to pay man $8M for wrongful arrest & malicious prosecution

April 28 2026

A 25-year-old man from Kuru Kururu has been awarded $8 million in damages after the High Court found that he was unlawfully arrested, detained, and maliciously prosecuted by members of the Guyana Police Force.

The ruling was handed down on April 24, 2026, by Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in favour of Terrence Sandy, who was 22 years old at the time of the incident.

According to court documents, Sandy was arrested on June 10, 2023, while walking home in Kuru Kururu, along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway.

He was taken first to the Timehri Police Station and later to the Madawini Police Station, where he was placed in custody without explanation and without being asked to provide a statement.

He was subsequently charged with break and enter and larceny and appeared unrepresented before the Diamond Magistrate’s Court on June 13, 2023, where he was remanded to prison. Sandy spent approximately 80 days incarcerated at the Lusignan Prison before being granted bail on August 28, 2023, in the sum of $150,000 with reporting conditions.

The court heard that during disclosure of evidence on July 7, 2023, Sandy’s attorneys found no evidence linking him to the alleged offence. Witness statements reportedly made no mention of his name, description, or identification, and there was no documentation outlining the circumstances of his arrest or adherence to legal procedures.

Further, it was revealed in court that the police had instituted charges without seeking legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions. After a request from his attorney, the DPP reviewed the matter and advised that the charges be withdrawn. The case was eventually dismissed on October 5, 2023.

Sandy later filed legal proceedings against the State through Dexter Todd and Associates, seeking redress for wrongful arrest, imprisonment, and constitutional breaches.

In her ruling, Justice Isaacs-Marcus declared that Sandy was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned between June 10 and August 28, 2023, and that he was subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The court also found that his constitutional rights were violated and that he was maliciously prosecuted.

The court awarded $3 million in damages for unlawful arrest and deprivation of liberty, $2 million for inhuman treatment, and $2 million in exemplary damages. An additional $600,000 was granted for loss of income, along with $400,000 in costs. Interest of 6% per annum will apply from the date of trial to judgment, and 4% per annum thereafter until the sums are fully paid.

The decision underscores the court’s firm stance against breaches of constitutional rights and reinforces the State’s liability in cases of unlawful detention and prosecution.