‘Skinny’ escapes from Sparendaam Police Station

Jun 26, 2008 News

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– had told cops he had unfinished business

Notorious Agricola gang member, Jermaine Charles, called ‘Skinny’, who is charged with multiple murders including those of five Kaieteur News pressmen, yesterday escaped from the Sparendaam Police Station.
According to reports, Charles escaped through a hole in floor of the lockups some time between midday and 16:00 hours.
A source told Kaieteur News that Charles appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court yesterday for the preliminary inquiry into the death of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his two siblings, Pulmattie Persaud and Rajpat Sawh, and security guard Curtis Robinson.
According to the source, after making his court appearance, he was placed into the lockups of the Sparendaam Police Station, a building that is next door to the court. Charles was handcuffed.
Reports state that at around 16:00hours the prison van went to the station to uplift prisoners but when the police were looking for Charles, he was nowhere to be found.
The police ranks discovered a hole in the flooring that they say Charles could have passed through.
This newspaper understands that there were more than 30 prisoners in the lockups with Charles but none of them informed the police of what had transpired.
Sources said that one of the prisoners was injured at the hands of others, reportedly for attempting to spill the beans on Charles’s plot.
When questioned as to how Charles could have escaped wearing handcuffs from a police station where several ranks and civilians were present, sources said that a massive clean up was taking place at the station and people may have taken Charles for one of the cleaners.
After realising that Charles had fled, the police launched a manhunt, searching along the seawalls, the back dam and other areas along the East Coast of Demerara.
The police concluded that Charles had a major head start before they even realised that he was gone.
Other reports, which have not been confirmed, state that Charles was left unattended while he was in the courtroom and calmly walked out.
There were reports that some ranks were placed under close arrest but Kaieteur News could not confirm this report.
However, reports state that up to late last night the police ranks that were at the station at the time were in a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene.
Reports state that Charles had threatened to kill a police officer last week. Another rank said that Charles had said that he had ‘unfinished business’.
During his court appearances, at least at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, there is usually additional security. Armed police ranks would be placed in and around the courtyard.
On Charles’s first appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, he was escorted into the court under heavy police guard and his appearance in court lasted for approximately five minutes.
They could not have proceeded with the matter because Charles was unrepresented by counsel. When the magistrate gave him a new date he was immediately escorted back into the prison van and taken back to prison.
A source told this newspaper yesterday that security was lax. Charles has been on remand for almost two years now and has made numerous court appearances during that time, both in Georgetown and on the East Coast of Demerara.
On several occasions, Charles and his cohorts created a ruckus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, attacking police officers and using expletives. This caused ranks to take even more precautions. 
Charles and his co-accused had complained to Magistrate Gordon Gilhuys on several occasions about their matters being prolonged and relayed their frustration at being incarcerated for such a long period of time.
They had been on remand for months before their Preliminary Inquiries even commenced.
On one occasion, Charles had told Magistrate Gilhuys that “Everything wha happen on de East Bank is de Agricola boys do it.”
 “I does deh sleepin pun concrete in prison and me chest huttin me,” Charles had also said.
Charles and his alleged accomplices, Dwight Da Silva and Quincy Evans are charged with the murder of Kaieteur News pressmen, Mark Mikoo, Chetram ‘Boyo’ Persaud, Richard Stewart, Eion Wegman and Shazim Mohamed at the Kaieteur News printery at Eccles, East Bank Demerara on August 8, 2006.
They reportedly pounced on the five pressmen at about 22:10hrs and allegedly shot each in the head before making good their escape. They were later arrested at a hotel on South Road.
Charles is also charged with the murders of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his two siblings, Pulmattie Persaud and Rajpat Sawh, and security guard Curtis Robinson.
It is alleged that on April 22, Charles murdered the four persons at the Minister’s home at La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara.
The charge surprised many since the police had issued bulletins for several suspects for the murders and Charles was not one of them. Charles was adamant that he did not commit that murder. He had even cried on the day the charge was read to him.
The 19-year-old is also accused of murdering Bagotstown businessman Wordsworth Grey who was shot dead on the night of the Kaieteur News execution-style killings.
On that charge he is jointly charged with Delwyn Carrington, ‘Nastyman’, Dwight Da Silva and Quincy Evans.
Charles and John are charged along with another accused, Devon Cambridge, who is now deceased, on a robbery under arms charge.
Charles and DaSilva are jointly charged with the murder of Bagotstown businessman, Barbot Paul.
He is also charged with the shooting to death of Guyana Defence Force private Gilford Henry.
Charles is also charged with the murder of 12-year-old Kevin Brown, who was shot while exiting a bathroom at his stepfather’s McDoom home.
It is alleged that two men shot Paul in his head, chest and right side on August 6, 2006.
Charles is further charged with the murder of 23-year-old Devon Charles, who was killed on January 23, 2005.

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