By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – After nine hours of deliberations, a Supreme Court jury found former police officers Anthony Griffin and Racine Milfort guilty of stealing nearly 200 gallons of gasoline from the Police Force Garage in November 2011.

The verdict was handed down around 9.30pm on Thursday.

A jury of six women and three men found the men guilty by a vote of 6-3.

A number of police officers had gathered at the courthouse to support their former colleagues, waiting into the

late evening hours for the outcome.

Griffin and Milfort, who were employed at the Police Garage, were charged with stealing by reason of employment 199 gallons of gasoline valued at around $800 on November 12, 2011.

It was alleged that the men – who were both Corporals at the time – used a Police Force Mitsubishi flatbed truck to haul four 55-gallon drums of gasoline from the compound on Peel Street.

Both men took the stand on Tuesday.

They denied the accusations.

After Senior Justice Hartman Longley delivered his summation in the case, the jury retired around 12.30pm to deliberate.

They returned around 6pm to ask the judge whether the prosecution had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt

that 199 gallons of gas were stolen.

In his direction to the jury, Justice Longley explained that the prosecution had to prove that the defendants took gas from the police garage that had a value of at least $500 or more; that at the time they took the gas they did not have the consent of the RBPF; that they had no claim of rights to the gas; and that they had taken it by reason of their employment on the Police Force.

The jury retired again to deliberate and returned around 9.30pm with the verdict.

K Brian Hanna represented Griffin and R Dawson Malone represented Milfort. Erica Kemp of the Attorney-General’s Office appeared on behalf of the Crown.

Justice Longley has set sentencing for November 9.