(St. Lucia News Online) — Police are investigating the shooting death of 47-year-old Cecilia Louis, popularly known as ‘Miss Daphne’, who was shot dead near her home in Monchy, Gros Islet on Monday evening, July 20 — the second woman to be killed in Saint Lucia in just over a week.
Louis was reportedly walking home when she was attacked.
Residents reported hearing multiple gunshots after 7 p.m.
Louis, a taxi driver in the Rodney Bay, Gros Islet area, was eventually discovered suffering from gunshot wounds.
She died on the spot.
“Sad…hardworking hustler…was my taxi lady before I got my own…didn’t know we were related until tonight…sad,” wrote someone on Facebook.
Another said: “Rest in Peace Miss Daphne…may her kids and family be comforted with the outpouring of love during this tragic time of loss.”
“So sad news,” another one wrote. “Rest in Eternal Peace. Cecilia was my driver. I was looking forward to her picking me up this weekend from Hewannora. She was a beautiful woman, lovely personality. Gone too soon.”
There are no further details regarding the shooting at this time.
However, this is the second killing of a woman in less than two weeks.
On July 12, Anela Wilson, a resident of Marchand, Castries, was gunned down at Pigeon Point Beach n Gros Islet during a social gathering. Her male companion survived the shooting. A Marchand resident — Ramah Williams — has since been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the incident.
(St. Lucia News Online) — Police were processing the scene of the fatal shooting of 47-year-old taxi driver Cecilia ‘Miss Daphne’ Louis in Monchy, Gros Islet on Monday evening, July 20 when they were made aware of another shooting in Cul de Sac, Castries.
Police said a man in his early to late 20s was shot multiple times around 8 p.m. The homicide in Monchy occurred between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The Cul de Sac victim was transported to a hospital via ambulance in stable condition.
His current medical status is however unknown.
No further details were immediately available on this shooting.
(St. Lucia News Online) — Saint Lucia recorded its 26th homicide for 2020 in Monchy, Gros Islet on Monday, July 20 with the shooting death of a female senior citizen.
Of the 26 homicides, two were police shootings.
These statistics were revealed by Press Officer for the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Corporal Ann Joseph, at a press conference held on Tuesday, July 21.
In comparison, Saint Lucia recorded 51 homicides in 2019, 44 in 2018, and 60 in 2017.
Joseph further disclosed that the homicides are being solved at a rate of 50 percent.
The latest homicides
Police said 57-year-old taxi driver in the Rodney Bay, Gros Islet area, Cecilia Louis, popularly known as ‘Miss Daphne’, was shot dead in Monchy, Gros Islet on Monday, July 20. Residents reported hearing multiple explosions minutes after 7 p.m.
From left: Cecilia Louis, also known as Miss Daphne, and Anella Wilson
Police are alo investigating a double homicide that occurred in Sarrot on the night of July 13. Dexter Felix Jr., 24, also known as ‘Dry Bonez’ and Francis Altenor, 20, also known as ‘Tiny’ were shot at a residence, according to police. Two male individuals are in police custody but have not been charged, Joseph said.
Dexter Felix Jr. (left) and his cousin
On July 12, at about 10 p.m., Anela Wilson, a 22-year-old resident of Marchand, Castries, was gunned down at Pigeon Point Beach in Gros Islet during a social gathering. Her male companion was also shot but survived. Marchand resident Ramah Williams has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with this shooting.
(St. Lucia News Online) — A man who was shot multiple times in Cul De Sac on Monday night, July 20 is in critical but stable condition, police said Tuesday.
Press Officer for the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Corporal Ann Joseph, made the disclosure at a press conference held on Tuesday, July 21.
Joseph stressed that the shooting was not fatal. She said the victim is in “critical but stable condition as reported by the doctors attached to the OKEU Hospital”.
The Criminal Investigations Department was informed of the shooting at about 7:20 p.m., Joseph said.
“No one is in custody as yet in relation to that matter,” Joseph added.
The Saint Lucia Fire Service (SLFS) also gave their version of their response to the incident.
According to the SLFS in a press release, officers at the Castries Fire Station responded to a call on Monday, July 20 at about 7:45 p.m. that a male individual was shot in Cul de Sac, Castries.
“Arriving emergency personnel found the individual in a sitting position in the company on another individual. A rapid assessment of the patient revealed multiple wounds on his body. He was transferred to the ambulance where his wounds were treated and rapid emergency transportation was given to the OKEU Hospital. He remained in a serious but stable condition en route to the hospital and was left in the care of a medical practitioner,” the SLFS added.
(St. Lucia News Online) — It was grand theft auto, then handling stolen goods, then breaking the government-sanctioned curfew — now it’s something else.
Francis Lalanne, popularly known as ‘Monkey’, of Corinth, Gros Islet is in trouble with the law again, adding to his lengthy criminal record.
He was slapped with several charges in connection with the theft of a firearm and ammunition belonging to a female Customs officer.
Corporal Ann Joseph, press officer of the Royal St Lucia Police Force, told a press conference on Tuesday, July 21 that Lalanne was found with the stolen firearm when Gros Islet Police Station officers searched him in Corinth.
He was then charged with theft and possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Reports are that Lalanne stole the firearm from the officer’s vehicle.
He is currently in police custody until August 27, 2020.
Lalanne is notorious for being in trouble with the law. Below are some reports from his alleged crimes.
Breaking curfew
Two men, including Lalanne, were arrested and charged in March 2020 for breaking the government-sanctioned 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew enacted to fight the spread of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19). They were charged under the Emergency Powers (Disasters) (COVID-19) (Curfew) Order of 2020.
Olson Arthur of Rodney Bay, Gros Islet was the other person who got in trouble with breaking the curfew.
The men were arrested in separate incidents in Gros Islet Town and Rodney Bay, around 2 a.m. on a Friday. They were granted bail and scheduled to appear in court on June 10.
Handling stolen goods
Lalanne was before the courts in late October 2017, charged with handling stolen goods. Notably, he was in court in August 2017, charged with theft and preparation of a crime.
Reports indicate that Lalanne was found with laptops allegedly stolen from several vehicles in Pointe Seraphine. At the time, the Logos Hope ship was docked nearby.
Grand theft auto
Lalanne, who is in his 50s, was granted bail in July 2017 after police recovered 26 vehicle keys, two alarm remotes, and 68 key tags at his Balata residence, according to HTS.
“He was also charged with theft after being accused of breaking into a vehicle belonging to a senior civil servant in June this year and stealing an Ipad. Lalanne last appeared in court on October 20th, for a sufficiency hearing on those two charges. That matter was adjourned to January 2018,” HTS reported.
Photos of Cecilia Louis, alias ‘Miss Daphne’ (Source: MBC TV)
By MERRICK ANDREWS, Staff Reporter
(St. Lucia News Online) — No one has been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of 57-year-old Cecilia Louis of Monchy, Gros Islet, police said.
Louis, alias ‘Miss Daphne’, a well-known Rodney Bay taxi driver, was shot to death near her home in Monchy on the evening of Monday, July 20.
Residents reported hearing multiple gunshot explosions — at least five — minutes after 7 p.m.
Police Press Officer Ann Joseph said though no one has been arrested investigations continue.
Cecelia Louis (Source: MBC TV)
The Saint Lucia Fire Service (SLFS) said in a press release that emergency personnel at the Babonneau Fire Station responded to an emergency call on Monday, July 20 at about 7:42 p.m.
The SLFS further stated: “The information received stated that there was an alleged shooting incident, at La Fieulle, in Monchy.
“The emergency crew found a female individual lying motionless, face down on the ground in care of police officers. An assessment of the patient revealed that she had no vital signs and sustained multiple wounds to the back of her body.
Crime scene (Source: MBC TV)
“On the scene, in the presence of emergency personnel, a medical practitioner pronounced the individual dead. The scene was then left in the care of the police.”
‘Miss Daphne’ is Saint Lucia’s 26th homicide victim for 2020 and the fourth person killed in about eight days.
She was the mother of three children — two males and one female. Her youngest son recently wrote the CXC exams, MBC reported.
A firearm and ammunition (not the one mentioned in the story)
By MERRICK ANDREWS, Staff Reporter
(St. Lucia News Online) — Five persons including a woman have been charged in connection with the discovery of a firearm and ammunition in Rodney Bay, Gros Islet.
Jean Claude Leonce, 20, of Trouya, Gros Islet; Stephanie Polius, 20, of Rivier Mitan, Gros Islet; Tyler McDonald, 23, of La Feuillet, Gros Islet; Danny Stephen, 26, of La Feuillet, Gros Islet; and Sarik Leo, 20, of Monchy, Gros Islet have all been charged for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Police spokeswoman Corporal Ann Joseph told media operatives at a press conference on Tuesday, July 21 that officers were conducting a patrol along the Rodney Bay, Gros Islet main road when they stopped a vehicle with the five defendants on board.
A search of the vehicle yielded a .380 Taurus revolver with four rounds of ammunition.
The incident occurred on Saturday, July 18, 2020.
All five persons have been remanded until September 9, 2020.
(St. Lucia News Online) — Two men were arrested and charged for the unlawful possession of a firearm and several rounds of ammunition after they were busted in two separate incidents over the weekend.
Speaking a press conference on Tuesday, Police spokeswoman Corporal Ann Joseph said that on Sunday, July 19, 2020, Kevia Melius, 35, of Garrand, Babonneau was arrested by officers of the Babonneau Police Station after they discovered a .45 pistol with three rounds of ammunition in his vehicle.
Joseph said the officers were conducting a routine patrol when they searched his vehicle.
Joseph further disclosed that Melius was charged but he’s in police custody pending a bail application.
In a separate incident, Gavin Jn Baptiste of La Croix Maingot, Castries was arrested after a .40-calibre Smith and Wesson firearm along with a magazine with two rounds of ammunition were discovered during a search by police, MBC reported.
(PRESS RELEASE) — The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force wishes to inform the general public that due to the demolition of the Central Custody Suites on Bridge Street, Castries, prisoners will now be housed at alternative police stations around the island.
We appreciate the public’s concerns with regards to provisions made to accommodate individuals in police custody, however, we wish to reassure our citizenry that all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure that all prisoners are detained safely.
Some of the measures include, but are not limited to:
1. Contact with loved ones: When selecting a housing area for arrested persons, kindly note that consideration will be given to the proximity of the selected station, to the place of residence of each prisoner. Investigating officials will endeavour to contact family members and loved ones to inform them of the status of each prisoner. Anyone wishing to inquire as to the location of individuals in police custody may contact the Public Relations Office at 456-3718.
2. Number of prisoners within cells: Limits have been outlined as to the number of individuals kept within a unit at any given time. This is to also ensure that health protocols are adhered to, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Quarantined and sick prisoners: Arrangements have been made to accommodate quarantined prisoners, including remanded individuals or prisoners complaining of illness, in separate areas from persons not requiring quarantine.
Once a prisoner exhibits symptoms of illness, he or she is escorted to a medical centre for assessment and or treatment as necessary. If an individual displays COVID-19 symptoms, after the initial evaluation by a medical professional, he or she is taken into care at the Victoria Hospital (Respiratory Clinic). Please be reminded that quarantined prisoners are not allowed visits from members of the public, in keeping with established COVID-19 protocols.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force wishes to assure all that we remain in a position to house all arrested persons and will not renege on our commitment to enforcing our laws. We again thank the public for their continued support and cooperation.
(PRESS RELEASE) — The Allen Chastanet-led government should be mindful that implementing laws that may infringe on the rights of ordinary citizens reflects a lack of concern for fundamental universal rights. This would clearly arise from the possible reinstatement of the curfew which was established as a measure against community spreading of COVID-19.
Felicia Browne, a human rights advocate, said that the government has not only continued to implement restrictive policies that have only infringed on the rights of citizens but also has displayed a total disregard on the effects and consequences these policies have had on its citizens.
Such policies have mainly affected the youth. Many of the persons who violated the curfews were young persons.
Browne said that “in April, we have observed the strict policies of the government in order to ‘flatten the curve’ – and rightfully so, citizens have adhered to them, as challenging as it was. Now the prime minister is seeking to implement these same policies such as curfews to deter gun violence”.
Gun-related violence is violence committed with the use of a gun. Gun-related violence remains problematic — yet no concrete gun control policies have been designed to alleviate the problem associated with it.
The World Health Organisation told us how to deal with the virus. It hasn’t suggested that the same formula works for guns.
Browne highlights that the prime minister should consider the recent crime survey report which was released a few weeks ago to propose measures to implement a more feasible approach to this problem. Gun violence requires policies and implementation that will not only deter persons from using but also having easy access to them.
(St. Lucia News Online) — Law enforcement officials have confirmed that the police are investigating two violent incidents that occurred in Bois d’Orange and Gros Islet town on Wednesday morning, July 22.
In the first incident, a man, identified as Anselm George, alias ‘Teacher’, sustained stab wounds in Gros Islet town, while an unidentified man sustained a “deep laceration” to his hand in Bois d’Orange.
The stabbing incident
The Saint Lucia Fire Service (SLFS) said that on Wednesday, July 22 at about 7:20 a.m. the Gros Islet Fire Station received a call about a stabbing incident at Gros Islet town.
The SLFS said responding emergency personnel found a male individual, who appears to be in his 40s, lying in a fetal position on the ground, in the company of police officers.
“A rapid assessment of the patient revealed that he sustained several wounds on his body, including a severe wound on his abdomen. He was immediately transferred to the ambulance where his wounds were treated. The patient was transported in a serious but stable condition to the OKEU Hospital and was left in the care of medical personnel,” the SLFS said.
The physical assault incident
The SLFS said fire personnel from the Castries Fire Station responded to an emergency call on Wednesday, July 22, at about 7:40 a.m., regarding a physical assault on a male individual at Bois d’Orange, Gros Islet.
The responding officers found a male individual, who appeared to be in his 30s, seated on the road in the care of police officers, the SLFS said.
“The individual complained of pain to his left hand. An assessment revealed he sustained a deep laceration to his hand. He was transferred to the ambulance where his wound was cleaned and bandaged. He was then provided rapid transportation via ambulance to the OKEU Hospital for further medical treatment,” the SLFS added.
By MERRICK ANDREWS (St. Lucia News Online) — Saint Lucia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Justice and National Security Senator Hermangild Francis has disclosed that “hits” or threats to take the life of certain politicians are known to local law enforcement.
Francis, a lawyer and former deputy commissioner of police, made the revelation during a talk show host on Thursday, July 30.
He said some of these hired hitmen are known to the authorities and are being constantly monitored.
“We have information that certain persons have hits on certain politicians and so on, but it’s to monitor these individuals and to get the personnel and the right equipment to be able to monitor them, so we have an idea who are some of these individuals and we are looking to curtail some of their activities,” Francis told the radio station, according to a CMC report.
DEATH THREATS
Francis, who said it is worrying that hitmen for hire or contract killings have become a “big business” in Saint Lucia, is one of several politicians who have reportedly received death threats in recent years.
Current Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and former Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony have also received threats, according to reports.
LETTER In 2017, Francis disclosed that he received a death threat via a letter. That incident occurred the year after his United Workers Party (UWP) was swept into power in the June 2016 general election.
At the time of the threat, he was quoted as saying: “I will not abandon my responsibilities as national security minister. I have always dedicated myself to the fight against crime. I did it as a police officer and now I am doing so in another capacity. We have a situation which is very serious and disturbing on our hands, and the government is seeking to address it in a decisive manner. We cannot ignore it.
National Security Minister Hermangild Francis (right) and officers in a police vehicle during an operation in 2011.
“Whenever I take a position on an issue that deals with law enforcement, crime or public safety, it is related to what obtains in our laws. If I take a position on capital punishment, for example, it is a position that is enshrined in or supported by the Constitution. I don’t simply subscribe to my personal opinions. So persons, who feel sufficiently uncomfortable about some of the things I have said, and feel they should engage in issuing threats, should take a look at the laws of the country.”
FISHERMAN’S ALLEGED THREAT AGAINST ALLEN CHASTANET
Steve Kowan Alexander, alias “Silver”, who is originally from Canaries but living in Soufriere at the time, was granted bail in the sum of $3,500 for threatening words and $3,000 for abusive words and behavior in cash, suitable surety or land documents.
Alexander wore a mask in the video but that did not stop the authorities from being successful in hunting and tracking him down. To the right is a file photo of Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.
His bail conditions included surrendering his travel documents, not to leave Saint Lucia without the court’s permission, not to apply for travel documents, report to the Soufriere Police Station on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and not to contact the virtual complainant or witnesses.
Alexander, who was remanded in custody, was arrested after the video surfaced on social media. In the video, he threatened the prime minister over the sudden implementation of the 24-hour seven-day curfew to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19. The video was filled with creole-laced expletives.
Alexander wore a mask in the video but that did not stop the authorities from being successful in hunting and tracking him down.
PEOPLE OUT TO KILL DR. KENNY ANTHONY?
There were news reports about alleged death threats made in December 2014 and June 2016against Dr. Kenny Anthony who was prime minister during those times
In December 2014, reports were brought to light during a television show hosted by newspaper publisher Rick Wayne that jobless and frustrated young people in Saint Lucia are entertaining thoughts of killing Dr. Kenny Anthony. A young man employed to Wayne’s newspaper company had reportedly made the comments. Two police officers interviewed the employee but there were no reports of the employee being arrested and charged.
Rick Wayne. * Photo: Star Newspaper.
According to a CMC report, Dr. Anthony said in a television interview that it was not unusual for a prime minister to receive threats, but observed that it was not often that such statements are made publicly.
“In these islands, we treat these things lightly, but we don’t understand that times have changed,” Anthony was reported as saying. “Clearly, when the statements were made the best thing was to have said to the young man was that’s not the way to deal with those issues and resolve them.”
Dr. Anthony noted that the young man who made the complaint during the television programme, while complaining on behalf of others, was employed so the issue was not the same for him.
The prime minister recalled in the interview that Stephenson King was prime minister when someone was killed in King’s constituency office in La Clery, just over four years ago.
“That really was to all intents and purposes, a warning of what could happen to any MP or prime minister, so we need to take these issues seriously and get a sense of who are the persons orchestrating and encouraging this kind of behaviour,” Dr. Anthony was quoted as saying.
Stephenson King
Dr. Anthony, who was a Member of Parliament for Vieux Fort South (and still is) described the threat as part of the “hazard of the business” while he expressed that his family and officials of his ruling party were concerned.
According to the CMC, Dr. Anthony also expressed disappointment with the response of the [then] leader of the main opposition UWP, Allen Chastanet and his party, whom he accused of being “apologists” for anti-social behaviour.
Chastanet had reportedly accused the government of overreacting, adding that while he considered it an extremely serious matter, he did not think that when the young man who made the claims, was threatening Dr. Anthony.
“I think he [the young man] was crying out to the young people who are being marginalised and have lost hope,” Chastanet was quoted as saying.
According to CMC, Chastanet said one would have hoped that the government would have reacted “accordingly” and actively reached out to all the young people in Saint Lucia.
REPORTS OF THREATS AGAINST DR. ANTHONY JUST BEFORE GENERAL ELECTION
Dr. Anthony was again in the news about a perceived death posted on social media — just a few hours before Saint Lucians head to the polls to elect a new government in June 2016.
According to a St. Lucia News Onlinereport at the time, a female posted on Facebook that if the ruling Saint Lucia Labour Party wins the next election, she will be alive to see a prime minister get “sniped” and had the words “yellow power” included in her post.
“So keep taking the cries of the people for a joke, if this should happen I will watch it go boom on TV far away from here, but since this won’t happen, I will stick around to dance with Allen Chastanet and the rest of the party,” she also wrote.
According to St. Lucia News Online, at the time, “while most of the short political campaign season has been violent-free, threats were reportedly made against two popular media personalities, Rick Wayne and Sam ‘Jook Bois’ Flood”.
Scene of a fatal shooting in August 2017 in Saint Lucia.
By MERRICK ANDREWS
(St. Lucia News Online) — Apparently, contract killings or the hitmen-for-hire business have not only become prevalent in other Caribbean islands, especially in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago but Saint Lucia as well.
According to a CMC report, Minister for Home Affairs, Justice and National Security Senator Hermangild Francis told a local radio station on Thursday that is he worried that crime has become a “big business” in Saint Lucia and that the hitmen are well known to law enforcement and are being monitored.
“Crime is now big business in Saint Lucia,” he is quoted as saying by CMC.
“There are people who are known hitmen in Saint Lucia and these guys will not hesitate if they get the right amount of money to put a hit on you,” Francis said.
Minister for Home Affairs, Justice and National Security Senator Hermangild Francis Senator Hermangild Francis
Francis noted that contract killings and hitmen are not new to Saint Lucia but the issue has become more prevalent, CMC reported.
He said there are less than 10 known hitmen in Saint Lucia but “but their names keep coming up over and over and over again”. He described them as extremely dangerous.
He further explained: “We have leads and we are pursuing those leads but these guys are extremely, extremely smart. Our information indicates that they travel but they don’t carry their weapons with them so their weapons are actually brought to them to do a particular hit at a particular location. So even if you stop them on the streets, you will not get any weapon on them.”
By MERRICK ANDREWS (St. Lucia News Online) — Two men have been formally charged and remanded in prison in connection with the July 31, 2020 firearms and ammunition bust in Cas En Bas, Gros Islet, according to a senior police official.
Wendell Vidal, 31, of Soufriere, and Erne Nurse, 25, of Cas En Bas received multiple charges in connection with the illegal firearms and ammunition find.
The official said Vidal received two counts of the possession of a firearm, three counts of the possession of ammunition, one count of the possession of a component part of a firearm.
Nurse received similar charges for the possession of a firearm and the possession of ammunition.
The two men have been remanded to the Bordelais Correctional Facility until their next court date on September 9, 2020.
Police recovered a Taurus G2c 9mm pistol, a 23 Gen2C Glock 40 pistol, 95 rounds of .40 ammunition, 10 magazines, 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 24 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition during an operation Vidal’s Cas En Bas residence on July 31, 2020.
Weapons from the Cas En Bas drug bust.
Nurse was nabbed with a G2c 9mm pistol and 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
News of the arrests was first revealed at a press briefing last wek by Police Press Officer Acting Corporal Ann Joseph.
The arrests were a result of a joint operation carried out at two homes on July 31 in Cas En Bas by the Gros Islet Police Station’s Criminal Investigations Department, the Special Services Unit, and other departments within the Royal St Lucia Police Force, Joseph said.
At the time, she told reporters: “Two homes were searched in Cas En Bas, Gros Islet. In one of the residences, one Taurus G2c 9mm pistol, one Glock 40 pistol, 95 rounds of .40 ammunition, 10 magazines, and 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition were recovered by the officers during the conduct of the search. In the second home, one 9mm pistol and 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition were also recovered.”
Joseph also revealed at the time that two persons, a male and female were arrested in connection with the find at the first house and four persons, including both male and female, were arrested in the connection with the find at the second house.
However, only Vidal and Nurse have been charged, to date, for those crimes.
The press officer also disclosed at the briefing that Saint Lucia police have recovered almost 100 firearms and over 1,200 ammunition as of July 31, 2020.
By MERRICK ANDREWS (St. Lucia News Online) — A video clip showing a man accused of attempting to rape a five-year-old girl in the city of Castries has gone viral on social media.
The incident occurred on Friday, August 7 in the Bois Patat/Morne Du Don area, according to residents and media reports.
The 28-second video shows the accused man sitting on the ground with his hands and feet bound. Two armed officers wearing military fatigues are seen in the video.
He was reportedly beaten before he was handed over to the police.
In the video, a female is overheard saying “he had a knife, look it”.
According to residents, the man claimed he was playing with the child.
The residents, however, rubbished those claims, saying he was in the process of abducting the child who screamed and fight to be released.
By MERRICK ANDREWS (St. Lucia News Online) — A woman in her 90’s was reportedly the victim of a rape or attempted rape incident in the south of Saint Lucia, according to police sources.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday.
According to sources, the elderly woman was found naked at her house.
Parts of her body appeared to have marks of violence.
She was transported to a hospital in stable condition.
(St. Lucia News Online) — Police on Tuesday, August 11 confirmed that two male residents of Babonneau have been formally charged in connection with the discovery of packages of cocaine in a banana shipment at the Castries wharf.
Adrian Popo and Tommy Delice of Cacao, Babonneau were on Friday, August 7 charged for possession, intent to supply, attempting to export and handling cocaine, police said.
Both received EC$25,000 bail on each of the charges by cash or suitable surety.
Police said about two kilogrammes of the drug was discovered during a routine search.
(St. Lucia News Online) — A Soufriere man who was caught with a gun and several rounds of ammunition has been formally charged, police confirmed Tuesday, August 11.
Police said Sean Simon, also known as Sean Bell, of Wingsville, Soufriere was charged with the illegal possession of a gun and ammunition when they carried out a search warrant at his residence on Sunday, August 2, 2020.
The lawmen recovered a firearm, a magazine and five rounds of ammunition.
Simon was remanded in police custody until Wednesday, August 12.
By Castries City Council (PRESS RELEASE) — The City Police Department has intensified training and development in an effort to better serve members of the public.
Last week, city police officers concluded training and lectures on searching, case file compilation, care custody, prisoner rights and ticketing offences.
The training was facilitated by Mr. Foster Chiquot of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force (RSLPF). This was preceded by a three-day training programme on effective communication conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Mayor Peterson D. Francis said the objective is continuous training and development of City police officers to meet the high demands of the job.
“I am hoping that members of the public will see the difference and effectiveness of the City Police Department.”
“We see the trend where our people are affected by the lawlessness and transgressions committed by a selected few. With the wide-ranging and ongoing training, the City Police will be better prepared to deal with any situation. An officer is first and foremost a representative of their community and by constantly providing high-level training, every aspect of that training can be applied to be effective. We must understand and appreciate how critical the job of a law enforcement officer is. Every component of the training deals with the community and therefore, the community’s contribution to police work is also a crucial component of preventing and solving crime,” Mayor Francis added.
By MERRICK ANDREWS (St. Lucia News Online) — A man and a woman have been arrested and charged in connection with the case involving the brazen daylight execution-style killing of Chad Ramsey in the city of Castries in 2019.
Ramsey, a 33-year-old resident of George Charles Boulevard, Marchand in Castries was shot in the head as he walked along the corner of Broglie Street and Brazil Street, Castries around 1 p.m. on April 18, 2019.
A video circulating on social media at the time, showed Ramsey lying facedown on the sidewalk, bleeding profusely. He reportedly died on the spot.
Members of the public had expressed surprise on Facebook, at the time of the day and the location in the city that the crime was committed.
According to a recent police press release, following Ramey’s murder, police initiated investigations, and a “Warrant of Arrest in the First Instance, was issued for a suspect in the matter”.
The suspect, Joshua Francis alias Josh, a 25-year-old resident of Bois D’Orange, Gros Islet, was arrested on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, during a joint police operation conducted by the Major Crime Unit and Special Services Unit.
The press release said .25 calibre pistol was recovered by the police when they were carrying out the search warrant at the suspect’s residence in Bois D’Orange, Gros Islet.
In addition, police arrested Amy Thomas, a 29-year-old resident of Mongiraud, Gros Islet.
According to the press release:
– Francis was charged for causing the death of Chad Ramsey — murder, Contrary to Section 85 of the Criminal Code of Saint Lucia — and for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
– Thoms was also charged for possession of a firearm, and for harbouring a criminal (Contrary to Section 402 of the Criminal Code of Saint Lucia).
Both individuals were remanded in custody until September 24, 2020 for further case management, the release stated.
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(St. Lucia News Online) — Police were processing the scene of the fatal shooting of 47-year-old taxi driver Cecilia ‘Miss Daphne’ Louis in Monchy, Gros Islet on Monday evening, July 20 when they were made aware of another shooting in Cul de Sac, Castries.
By MERRICK ANDREWS, Staff Reporter
By MERRICK ANDREWS, Staff Reporter
(PRESS RELEASE) — The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force wishes to inform the general public that due to the demolition of the Central Custody Suites on Bridge Street, Castries, prisoners will now be housed at alternative police stations around the island.
By MERRICK ANDREWS, Staff Reporter
“So keep taking the cries of the people for a joke, if this should happen I will watch it go boom on TV far away from here, but since this won’t happen, I will stick around to dance with Allen Chastanet and the rest of the party,” she also wrote.
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