Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Policewoman walks free on charge of allowing prisoners to escape
Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry
The case of neglectfully permitting person/s in lawful custody to escape against ex-Police Corporal, Diana Chichester, was dismissed Wednesday after Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry upheld a no case submission by the defence.
The matter first engaged the attention of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on August 3, 2009.
Police Inspector, Stephen Telford was the prosecutor.
Defence counsel Patrice Henry stood for the dismissed rank.
During the trial, eight of Chichester’s colleagues took to the witness stand and were examined by the prosecution. They were also cross-examined by counsel.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the Chief Magistrate explained that the prosecution failed to prove that the defendant had lawful authority of the escapees on the day of the alleged escape. Hence the magistrate established that the defendant had no case to answer to.
Following those announcements, the ex-policewoman was told that the charge against her had been dismissed.
On July 27, 2009, it was alleged that then Corporal Chichester allowed notorious convicts Colin Jones and Kurt Thierens to escape while they were in her custody at Providence Police Station.
At the time of the alleged escape, Chichester was the officer-in-charge of the Enquiries Division of the said station. Speaking to her attorney just after the ruling, Kaieteur News was informed that Chichester will be moving to the Supreme Court to petition her “wrongful dismissal”.
When asked how she felt about the ruling, the ex-policewoman who was almost in tears, would only say that she was “speechless”.
Prior to her dismissal, Chichester had dedicated more than 23 years to the Guyana Police Force.
And after being on the run for quite some time after the escape, lawmen were able to eventually capture Colin Jones and other members of his alleged terror gang in the mining community of Linden.
Thierens was not among those persons who were held. He had been killed some three weeks before Jones’s apprehension
Jones and his gang are facing several criminal charges.
Some time during the period Jones was on the rampage, there was a fallout between himself and Kurt Thierens. Police then stumbled upon the remains of Thierens who they suspect was murdered by Jones.
Colin Jones has since been charged for murdering his associate.
That matter is still being heard at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
(Tiffany Bowen)
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