CARENAGE resident Calvin Henry claims he was beaten by soldiers last week during a search, while one of his house guests had his Rastafarian hairstyle cut off with a knife.

Henry, 45, of L'anse Mitan Road, took the Express to the Gasparee Island home where the incident allegedly took place. The caretaker of the two-bedroom home told the Express that members of the Coast Guard visited the house on August 29, where they conducted a search and found nothing. The lawmen then thanked Henry along with his six guests and asked that they contact the authorities if they "see anything".

Three days later the Coast Guard returned, this time with members of the Regiment. Henry said he and his guests, three men and three women, were awakened around 5 a.m. on September 1 by the joint forces. Henry said he opened the door for the lawmen after they unsuccessfully tried to open the locked door with a bolt cutter and from then the abuse began.

"They took me upstairs after they tell everybody to get out and asked me, 'Where the weed?' I told them I don't smoke and with that is a gun butt in my chest. While gasping for breath they hit me with a piece of iron in my head and my head open instantly...then I got a gun butt again in my temple," Henry said adding that he had to receive nine stitches at the Port of Spain General Hospital for his head injury and his face was swollen as a result of the alleged abuse.

Henry said after the officers took him back to the group another man identified only as "Randy" was taken upstairs where his locks were cut off by the officers. He added that he heard Randy "bawling out" before seeing him appearing, minus his dreadlocks.

The caretaker said after he was abused he was told to go in the sea "until the water reached his head", while one of his guests was kept under water by an officer who kept him down by standing on his head. After the guest fainted, Henry added, Coast Guard took Henry, Randy and the unidentified man who was kept under water back to base and then to the hospital.

Later that day Henry said he returned to the house and discovered $60 from his drawer missing and $430 from his guests missing.

"They took two bottles of alcohol, a bottle of Brandy and a bottle of wine. One of the army men took my binoculars and they throw away all my food stuff. I don't deal with no drugs, I don't smoke drugs, I don't associate with drug people and this is the kind of treatment I get here. I just looking for an honest dollar," Henry lamented.

Henry said all his musical equipment, his DVD player and other valuables were destroyed by the soldiers who acted "thirsty". He added he became fearful for his life when soldiers took him to another house on the island and told to "face the wall" while an officer placed a gun to his head. While at that house the officers threw down a water tank with water in it.

Yesterday, attempts to contact Captain Al Alexander, Public Relations Officer of the Defence Force, were unsuccessful.