By Tahna Weston
A police officer’s daughter accused of illegally driving a car that crashed, killing Nut Grove teenager Keane Gregoire, will return to court next week.
La-Shanti Cooper will reappear before Magistrate Dexter Wason in the St John’s Magistrates’ Court next Thursday for her committal proceedings.
When the matter came up in court yesterday, the magistrate was informed that Cooper’s primary surety, whose name appears on certain documents, was not able to attend the morning’s proceedings due to a meeting.
Additionally, another of her sureties has passed away, and thus a new person has come forward to sign on her behalf. The death certificate was presented as proof to the court.
Some of the offences for which Cooper has been charged are summary matters, which can be tried in the Magistrates’ Court. However, a decision has been made to have them follow the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving, thus she will be committed to stand trial in the High Court on all the charges.
Tulip Horsford, the mother of La-Shanti Cooper, also has a number of separate traffic offences to answer, and her case has been separated from her daughter’s matter and set for a different date.
Both have been charged with traffic offences related to the accident that occurred at around 2am on May 18 2023. Cooper, the holder of a learner’s permit, faces charges of driving without a licensed driver present, driving without L plates, driving while not covered by the car’s insurance, driving without a licence, and causing death by dangerous driving.
Her mother has been charged with permitting the then 19-year-old Cooper to operate her vehicle without the requisite insurance.
Police officers responded to reports of an accident on All Saints Road in the vicinity of the John I Martin race track, and on arrival they found that a Toyota BB motor car owned by Horsford had crashed.
It is alleged that Cooper was driving the vehicle at a high speed when she lost control, skidded to the southern side of the road and collided with a column. The impact allegedly propelled the car to the northern side of the road and Gregoire, who was in the passenger seat, sustained multiple injuries and died in hospital the following day.
It was then rumoured that Cooper had denied being the driver of the vehicle and instead told the police that the driver fled the scene.
However, following a thorough investigation, the police arrested and charged her.
Horsford, who is a veteran of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda with more than two decades of service, found herself facing legal consequences as a result of her daughter’s alleged actions.
