Guy Mayers

The Mirror Publishing Company has been forced to suspend printing of its newspaper for a couple of days after bandits broke and enter its Bisee Industrial Estate office sometime between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. today.

Managing Director Guy Mayers said the discovery was made when staff turned up for work this morning.

Mayers told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that the bandits took the company’s main production computers, which contains important documents and information relating to advertising and news.

“So the most valuable things that was lost is not the hardware, but the information and our production work, print jobs and advertisements,” he told SNO.

The former national security minister said five computers were taken, but one was discovered in a drain at the back of the company’s building. Mayers estimate his loses to be “tens of thousands of dollars”.

He said the bandits gained entry into the building through a space in the wall that previously had an air conditioning unit, but was covered with a sheet of plywood.

“They also ransacked my office, the production office and took two fans, a transformer and other items,” he said.

The bandits also broke into a container belonging to the National Skills Development Centre (NSDC), taking at least two weed eaters.

Both the NSDC and Mirror Publishing buildings, which are on the same compound, were burglarised in the past.

Injured man.

A mentally ill man went berserk Sunday afternoon, injuring one man and damaging a few vehicles.

The incident occurred sometime after 5 p.m. in Choiseul.

The injured man has been identified as Lenton Charley.

An eyewitness told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that Charley was on his balcony when the mentally ill man started pelting stones in his direction.

The police and fire service responded and transported the victim to hospital.

The mentally ill man was captured and tied by the feet and hands.

Clint Mathurin * Photo provided

POLICE PRESS RELEASE - On Sunday, October 19, 2014 about 10:00 p.m., a joint operation involving the Marine Unit, Special Services Unit, Criminal Investigations Department and the Intelligence Unit was conducted towards the capture and arrest of 29-year-old Clint Mathurin of Arundell Hill.

The operation took place within the territorial waters off the Northern tip of Cape Estate, known as “Pointe Du Cape”. During the interception the suspect Clint Mathurin jumped overboard but was unable to evade the lawmen. Three other individuals who were onboard the vessel is now in police custody.

On October 13, 2014, a Warrant of Arrest in the First Instance was issued in the name of Clint Mathurin. Mathurin is the key suspect in the investigation of the homicide of 36-year-old Bathelomy Cox of Ciceron. During the course of Monday, October 20, 2014, a formal execution of the Warrant of Arrest will be effected on Clint Mathurin.

The suspect also had previous police matters emanating from 2013 where he was scheduled to make a court appearance on October 11, 2013 for the offence of kidnapping which is reported to have occurred on January, 3rd, 2013.

SVG Opposition leader Arnhim Eustace. Below: Tamara Gibson-Marks (left) with her lawyer Alberton Richelieu. * Photo credit: The Vincentian

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace has expressed disappointment with a recent court ruling involving St. Lucian born Attorney-at-Law Tamara Gibson-Marks, who is accused of stealing and abusing her office as registrar of the High Court of SVG.

I-Witness News said Eustace described the penalty handed down to Gibson-Marks as “scandalous”. He made this statement on a radio programme yesterday.

Gibson-Marks was fined EC$10,500 after pleading guilty to a charge of theft of EC$21,925 and abuse of her authority as registrar of the High Court.

Magistrate Carla James last Tuesday fined Gibson-Marks EC$4,500 to be paid in one month or three months imprisonment on the theft charge. On the abuse of authority charge, Gibson-Marks was ordered to pay EC$6,000 in three months or spend six months in jail.

Eustace was quoted as saying, “I think the whole issue of the registrar has left a very bitter taste in the mouth of Vincentians and in the minds of many Vincentians.”

The SVG politician said “people believe we have two systems of justice: one for those who we figure are important, another one for those who we figure are poor and unimportant”.

“This decision of the court, even the charges that were laid, to my mind are lacking, and the decision taken, as far as that is concerned, for me is scandalous,” Eustace said.

Eustace is also of the opinion that the outcome of the case “sends a very wrong message to the population of SVG, and it sends a wrong message to the young people of SVG, who, for crimes of much lesser importance and gravity, we find many of our youngsters in jail.”

The SVG opposition leader made it clear that the message from this particular issue “is not a good one at all. And it will have repercussions further down the road.”

He said people are going to point to decisions like these and question the role of the court.

“It lessens the court in people’s eyes, because they expect justice and they don’t see this as justice, because lesser crimes have taken place with more severe punishment.”

Eustace said this action should not be tolerated in SVG. “We can’t have two sets of rules, or what it seems like to the general public that people are being threated differently because of their status in society. We can’t have that.”

“We don’t want our people to grow up thinking that is what we are doing, but that is what it appears to be. And in fact, that is what it is. And while we talk about crime and so on in our society and so forth, and what we need to do about this issue here, people put their hands up in the air. Where are we going?” Eustace said.

Gibson-Marks was asked to resign in May, and an investigation was later launched into her conduct as registrar of the High Court. She had pleaded not guilty to all three charges when she initially appeared in court on Aug. 21. Gibson-Marks was also accused of attempting to flee the island.

Gibson-Marks had repaid over $300,000 that had been withdrawn from an account she held in trust at the St. Vincent Cooperative Bank. She was not charged in relation to the EC$300,000.

SVG’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Colin Williams, discontinued a false certification charge against Gibson-Marks after she pleaded guilty two weeks ago to the theft and abuse of power charge.

Ahead of the sentencing last week, defence attorney Alberton Richelieu submitted to the court documents providing that Gibson-Marks had repaid a total of EC$21,925.

Gibson-Marks is married to Vincentian lawyer, former Unity Labour Party senator, Ronald Marks.

Lincoln Charley receiving assistance after he was attacked by a mentally ill man.

Sixty two-year-old Lincoln Charley, who was attacked by a mentally ill man in Choiseul on Sunday, October 19, is now nursing his injuries at home.

Charley was released from St. Jude Hospital yesterday.

Charley, who related his story, said the man came to his home for a glass of water. While attending to his need, Charley said the man began to threaten him, then launched an attack.

He explained that the man then forced himself upon him and began hitting him with a few stones in his head and about his body.

Charley said after the attack, the mentally ill man then took his rage out on a few vehicles that were parked on the road.

After hearing the commotion, residents in the area intervened and bounded the attacker who was later arrested.

Emergency services responded to the scene and transported Charley to the hospital. He sustained multiple wounds to the head and bruises about his body.

Charley, who is a former construction worker, has been at home for about seven years after he suffered stroke.

Police are investigating the discovery of the body of a man near the Gros Islet fisheries around 3:00 this morning.

Well-placed sources told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that the police have no information on the individual at this moment, and they’re hoping some family will report a loved one missing.

Sources say the fully-clothed body, which was discovered in an open area, showed no marks of violence.

The ‘John Doe’ – a term usually given to unidentified bodies by police – appears to be in the 50s age group.

NOTICE - A grey Nissan Tiida hatchback, (like the one shown in the photo) registration number PJ144, was stolen in Corinth, Gros Islet on October 21, 2014 at around 11:25 p.m.

The owner urges the general public to assist in retrieving the vehicle and asks that persons knowing of its whereabouts to call the nearest police station or contact 487-1708.

Minister La Corbiniere * File photo

National Security Minister Victor La Corbiniere has brushed aside reports that suggests that there are large numbers of bench warrants for the arrest of suspected criminals, who remain at large.

La Corbiniere told the local media today that he does not have any confirmation from his officers that proves this true and said that people should not be led to believe that it is true either.

“I think it would be unfair of you to convey to the country that there are tons of people on bench warrants and the Police are doing absolutely nothing,” La Corbiniere said.

According to him, in many cases the people who bench warrants are issued for, go overseas.

“They have ways and means of leaving the country without the police being able to detect them, and on some occasions they leave and come back when they think that the heat is off,” La Corbiniere stated.

La Corbiniere said these matters are very complex and stressed that the police are often engaged in following up. However, this does not stop people from leaving the country.

The minister also made reference to the recent matter which led the police to intercept a wanted criminal- Clint Mathurin from leaving the island by means of a vessel.

La Corbiniere referred to the situation as a “cat and mouse game”, between law enforcement and criminals. He said while police are trying to stay ahead, criminals are becoming even smarter.

“Criminals are now taking a more informed view of their own criminality and how they avoid capture and how they deal with their own criminal world,” he stated.

Clint Mathurin.

The man accused of murdering 36-year-old, Barthelmy Cox, also known as “Diego”, on October 9, made his first court appearance today.

Clint Mathurin was charged with murder and aggravated burglary in connection with the shooting death of Cox.

His matter will be up for further case management and referral to the High Court, on November 13, 2014, the date given for his next court appearance.

Mathurin who is being represented by Attorney at Law Alberton Richelieu was remanded to the Bordelais Correctional facility.

Mathurin, 29, of Arundell Hill was captured by police in a joint operation between the Marine Unit and Special Services Units, on Sunday, October 19, 2014 about 10:00 p.m.

The police said in a statement that the operation took place within the territorial waters off the Northern tip of Cape Estate, known as “Pointe Du Cape”.

During the interception, Mathurin jumped overboard but was unable to evade the lawmen. Three other individuals who were onboard the vessel, who are now in police custody.

On October 13, 2014, a Warrant of Arrest in the First Instance was issued for Mathurin.

Mathurin is the key suspect in the investigation of the homicide of Cox shooting death.

He also had previous police matters emanating from 2013, where he failed to make a court appearance for the offence of kidnapping, which is reported to have occurred on January, 3rd, 2013.

A 15-year-old girl was found hanging in Piat, Grand Riviere, Gros Islet this morning.

The teenager was found hanging from a belt in her home.

More details soon.

An  inmate of Bordelais Correctional facility collapsed in the prison shower yesterday and died subsequently.

Anthony Noel, 49, was pronounced dead at about 10:25 am, Thursday, October 23.

Reports are that Noel was mentally ill. He had complained recently of feeling unwell.

The 49-year-old prisoner was admitted several times before at the hospital.

Noel was on remand since 2004, on a charge of causing death. He made his last court appearance on October 15, 2014.

Police officials have since ruled out foul play in his death.

Margaret Pratt

THE TELEGRAPH (UK) - A British woman whose husband was murdered in a bungled robbery on their yacht in St Lucia has criticised the Caribbean island’s justice system, demanding that it speed up its “glacial” investigation and bring the culprits to justice.

Margaret Pratt, 60, found her husband Roger, 62, a retired engineer, floating face down in the sea after four men stormed their yacht and attacked the couple. Four men were arrested – but since then the legal process has stalled.

“I’m disappointed and frustrated,” she said. “There is no reason for this.”

Speaking to The Telegraph in her first interview, nine months after the incident, Mrs Pratt, a management consultant, told of her anger at the delay.

“It’s now nine months since my husband was murdered in St Lucia, and I am starting to feel frustrated by the lack of progress,” she said.

“Initially I commended the St Lucia government – they really gave it their all to make sure that people were charged. But things have ground to a halt.

“And if it does take four to five years, my life will be on hold for four to five years, until I can put this behind me. It’s not just for me – this isn’t a special case. I don’t want a special case, special pleading, but justice delayed is justice denied.”

Mrs Pratt, who met her husband through a mutual love of sailing, said she was looked after well initially by the St Lucian authorities. With tourism accounting for 65 per cent of its gross domestic produce, the government did all it could to assist her and save the island’s reputation.

Kenny Anthony, the prime minister, visited Mrs Pratt and offered his support. A police escort was provided, to shield her from journalists. The hotel staff could not have been more helpful, she said.

“While I was there they knew the damage I could do, so they took great care,” she said. She knew that with the world’s media descending on the island she had the potential to shine a spotlight on the dark criminal underbelly of St Lucia.

“But now I’m not there – out of sight is out of mind. And they have moved on to other things,” she said.

The Pratts sailed for St Lucia in June 2013 after retiring and renting out their Warwickshire home. The trip was a leg of a round-the-world voyage that had been their lifelong dream. First stop was Martinique, and then St Lucia, where Mrs Pratt celebrated her 60th birthday, dining with seafaring friends in Marigot Bay. From St Lucia, the plan was to go on to the Grenadines, and then probably up to the US to avoid the hurricane season.

Margaret and Roger Pratt with friends Signe Storr and Henrik Hansen at the Rainforest Hideaway in Marigot Bay, St Lucia

But at about 11pm on Jan 17, as they had just gone to bed, they heard a rowing boat drawing closer to their yacht. “We heard them above us,” she said. “We had gone to bed, and heard the noise.”

Four men were on board – unarmed, Mrs Pratt thinks, but “geared up” to raid the boat. “I just think the red mist descended,” she said. “One held me down and the other beat me up. And out of the corner of my eye I saw Roger wrestling with one of them.”

When the men jumped into the sea and fled, a bloodied and bruised Mrs Pratt searched for her husband. She saw him floating facedown in the sea.

Four men – Richie Kern, Fanis Joseph, Jermoine Jones and Kervin Devaux – have been charged with Mr Pratt’s murder. All four have been remanded in custody since their arrests nine months ago and it could be up to five years before their murder trial begins.

“By the time I left they had crawled over the boat for the forensics, had found the people, who confessed – everything was in good shape,” she said.

But since then, there had been no advance – no date for the trial, and a series of hearings had been deferred.

“The government cannot interfere with the judiciary – and quite right,” Mrs Pratt said. “But then you dig a bit deeper and discover that there was this immense backlog of cases of people on remand. It’s immense.”

The island of 175,000 people has only one prison, which was built for 500 inmates but houses more than 600, at least half of whom are awaiting trial.

Until recently, St Lucia had only one judge with the authority to rule on serious crime. A second was hired but unable to take up his post because no courtroom was available until last month.

“This is causing problems for foreigners and St Lucians,” said a Western envoy. “It makes it more difficult to get a prosecution because witnesses, evidence and everything you need for a trial is more difficult to put in place six years on.”

A spokesman for the St Lucian prime minister did not respond to requests for comment. “The government should be making sure the judiciary has sufficient resources to clear the pipeline – that’s its role,” Mrs Pratt said.

She has gone back to work, in what she says is an attempt to take her mind off the “very, very vivid” recollections of that night. “You relive it most days,” she said.

But she bears no hatred for the accused. “There is no bile. They all have form, they are petty thieves, for whom also the red mist descended. These are young men, who had geared themselves up …” she said, her voice trailing away.

“It is hanging over me. And while I can rebuild my life, that rebuilding won’t be complete until the trial is over.”

Health Ministry officials and Police Commissioner Vernon Francois.

PRESS RELEASE - Following on from a presentation by officials from the Ministry of Health to a joint sitting of Parliament on Ministry of Health’s plans to prepare and manage the threat of the Ebola Virus Disease if or when it lands on St. Lucia’s shores, the Health Team met with Border Control and Security Personnel for a sensitization session on Ebola.

Nehum Jn Baptiste, National Epidemiologist was part of Ministry of Health’s Team, ” It’s very important that we share information especially sensitive information with respect to the travel history of persons. It’s also very important that we address the concerns of the staff from these special institutions.”

“This provides us with an opportunity for us to harmonize our efforts for us to try to re-engineer all our protocols to enable us not only to address the Ebola situation but in-case should we have any threat to international health.”

He said, “We are glad to see our Customs here, our immigration here, and all the other institutions which had a concern with respect to their safety. And hopefully after that meeting we can move on together to see how we can really strengthen our ports and protect our people.”

Vernon Francois, Commissioner of Police stressed on the importance and timeliness of the sensitization session. ” As you are aware the Ministry of Health would have met with a number of agencies Immigration, Customs, SLASPA, but as a group we have never really met together.

“So it’s very important for us to meet and share ideas because obviously it will have an impact on all of us whether personally or as a result of our work. So the discussion if very important and for us in the Police Department especially as it relates to our Immigration Department or Marine Unit or even officers who are generally involved in security or they may be called upon to perform some functions in that area.”

“So its a very important discussion the other law enforcement agencies too they are raising some critical points and I think the discussion is very healthy.”

Kennedy Francis, Chief of Port Police at SLASPA is also head of SLASPA’s Ebola Threat Management Team. ” The whole management of Ebola is supposed to be a national thrust so we need to make sure that there is no  person left behind, everybody needs to be on board.”

“So having the opportunity to interact with the other Boarder Control Officers is very good for the process….At this stage we have allot of senior officers attending this but more importantly many times we go to those forums and we go back and we do not pass on the information. So it is very important that the officers on the ground, the lower level staff are informed of the discussions at this meeting.”

Ministry of Health Officials pointed out that meetings such as these are critical not only to provide pertinent information to key personnel but to formulate and harmonize protocols.

Gatwick Airport

PRESS RELEASE - A woman from St Lucia has been charged with drug smuggling after Border Force officers at Gatwick Airport seized a quantity of class A drugs.

Tadia Clements, aged 22, was stopped after she arrived on a flight from St Lucia on 5 September.

Following searches, officers recovered around 340g of cocaine – tests are now being carried out to determine the purity and value of the drugs.

Clements was arrested by Border Force and later questioned by investigators from the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command and charged with attempting to import a class A drug.

On 18 September Clements appeared at Croydon Crown Court and was remanded in custody until her next appearance there on 30 October

Carole Upshall, Border Force regional director, said:

“Border Force officers like those who made this seizure play a crucial role in protecting the UK from illegal drugs and other contraband.

“Working with law enforcement colleagues including the NCA we are determined to do all we can to prevent drug trafficking and put those responsible behind bars.”

POLICE PRESS RELEASE - At bout 9:25 a.m. on Wednesday 29th October 2014, police officers responded to a call where a wanted individual, 32-year-old Julian Narcisse of Rockhall, Castries was sighted in the Rockhall area.

Julian was wanted for escaping lawful custody from the Marchand Police Station.

In the process of his apprehension, he received a gunshot wound to his leg.

He is presently admitted at the Victoria Hospital in stable condition.

POLICE PRESS RELEASE - On Tuesday, 28th October 2014, about 5:55a.m personnel attached to the Drug Squad and Special Services Unit, proceeded on an eradication exercise in the San De Fae, Sarrot area.

The law men arrived on a cannabis plantation which appeared to be 2.5 acres in size, with fully grown cannabis plants.

In a small wooden structure, they encountered an individual who was later identified as Joseph Felix of Sarrot. A search conducted in the structure revealed a quantity of dried plant material suspected to be cannabis.

A total of 3,656 fully grown cannabis plants were eradicated and destroyed.
Joseph Felix was formally arrested and escorted to the Custody Suites in Castries where he is detained. Investigations are ongoing.

Flavius

POLICE PRESS RELEASE - A missing persons report was made to the Gros-Islet Police on October 30th, indicating that 14 year old, Joshua Flavius was missing. The report was made by his brother, Duran Leonce.

Flavius is a form three student of the Corinth Secondary School. He was last seen by family at his Grand Riviere, Gros-Islet residence on Sunday, October 26th 2014 about 8:30p.m.

Joshua Flavius is brown in complexion and wears a flat haircut. He is five feet tall. He was last seen wearing a blue T-Shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

Members of the public, with any information on the whereabouts of Joshua Flavius, are asked to contact the Gros-Islet Police Station at telephone number 456-3830 or Duran Leonce at cell number 714 4372.

Julius Albert.

A man was shot to death in Bois Den, Anse La Raye last night, Oct. 29.

The victim has been identified as 39-year-old labourer Julius Albert, also known as Bouden.

In a press release, police said Albert was shot by an unknown assailant in an area opposite the Bois Den Pentecostal Church.

“The victim was discovered by his brother Leonard Albert, seated on a chair at the entrance to his (Julius Albert) dwelling house with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the back of his head,” police said. “The body was transported to the Victoria Hospital where he was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.”

A relative told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that she heard gunshot/s and didn’t take it serious at first, as this has become a norm in the community.

According to the female relative, from where she stood, she saw Albert sitting in front of his television, but after some time had passed, she called him and he never answered.

“After a few minutes we heard Julius dog barking, we chased it, ignorant of the fact that the intruder was in my now dead cousin’s house,” the relative told SNO.

The relative said she found it strange that Albert didn’t respond to her call, because she saw him sitting in front of the television minutes before.

“When he didn’t reply, we went down to his house, which was a mere few feet away only to see him with a gunshot wound to the back of his head,” she added.

Meanwhile, another relative who lives next door, said she heard a loud bang and thought immediately that someone had been shot.

A neighbour saw his door open and called out to him, but he did not respond. His sister even went down to his house and saw him sitting, so she went back to her shop.

Moments later he was discovered bleeding from the back of his head. Relatives said he was killed execution style. One relative discovered shoe prints at the back of his house leading down hill. It is believed the shooter escaped by foot.

The family is very saddened by his death, as it is the second person in the family to have died in one month. His brother’s child died recently. A friend of the family who spoke to SNO said “that’s just sad we are getting ready to bury two people.”

The police are asking anyone with information that can assist in the investigations to contact the Major Crimes Unit at telephone # 456-3754 or the Anse La Raye Police Station at telephone #456-3600.

POLICE PRESS RELEASE - On Sunday 26th October 2014, two St Lucian nationals were intercepted about 6:50p.m. en -route to Barbados on LIAT flight 769.

A search, conducted by police upon the person of Christine Lewis of Massade Gros-Islet, revealed five packages containing a quantity of cocaine. Two were found around her waist, two on her buttocks and one on her crotch.

Another search conducted on the person of Shane Verneiul of Faux a Chaux, Castries revealed three packages containing a quantity of cocaine. Two were packed on his buttocks and one on his crotch.

The drugs were concealed in what appeared to be a modified pair of tights. Three packages found on Shane Vernuil have a combine weight of 0.55kgs, whilst the five packages found on Christine Lewis have a combine weight of 1.55kgs.

On Monday 27th October 2014, they were both formally charged for the offences of Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Supply to another and Attempt to export Cocaine.

They are presently detained at the Custody Suites, awaiting their first court appearance

POLICE PRESS RELEASE - The results of a post mortem, conducted on the body of Anthony Noel, on Wednesday 29th October 2014, revealed that he died as a result of Cardiac Arrhythmia also known as congestive heart failure.

Forty nine year old Anthony Noel was confirmed dead at the Bordelais Correctional Facility by a medical doctor, on October 23 2014, at approximately 10:15 a.m. He was a remand prisoner at the Bordelais Correctional Facility since June 17, 2004 on a charge of murder.

He was at the time, an outpatient of Golden Hope. At Bordelais, he was also a patient on the Mental Cases List. In recent times, Noel had complained of having chest pains and had received treatment for his complaints, at both the Dennery and Victoria Hospitals.

At the time of his passing he was housed at the Medical Unit of the facility where he had been receiving care by the nursing staff.