AN ex- police sergeant jailed for taking four women from a holding cell at the Point Fortin police station for pizza in 2008 has been granted bail, pending his appeal of his conviction and sentence.

Justice of Appeal Ronnie Boodoosingh granted Sgt Winston Pity $200,000 bail or the alternative $40,000 cash bail on Thursday.

Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas convicted Pity after a judge-only trial on April 23, 2023, at the San Fernando High Court. On December 15, he was sentenced to eight years and ten years for the two counts of misbehaviour.

Pity was accused of unlawfully removing four women from the holding bay of the police station and returning them two hours later. At the time of his arrest, it was alleged the women were Colombian.

Pity was also accused of instructing a junior officer to make false entries in the police station’s diaries to say the four women were at the station around 11 pm with Pity.

The offences were said to have taken place on March 24, 2008.

At the trial, there were police witnesses who saw the detainees and Pity when they returned, and testimony from a cleaner who heard him say he had taken them for pizza.

At his trial, Pity alleged the evidence against him was fabricated, maintaining he did not take the women out of the station.

He has filed several grounds of appeal challenging his conviction and sentence.

While he waits for his appeal to be heard, Pity’s attorneys Bindra Dolsingh and Sandhyaa Ramberran applied for post-conviction bail.

Pity was ordered to surrender his passport and report to the police station in his area on Tuesdays and Fridays. He cannot change his address without telling the police or the court, must give the police his phone contact, and not contact any witness in the case.

If he breaches any of the conditions, his bail will be revoked.

The State was represented by deputy DPP Sabrina Dougdeen-Jaglal.

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