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Recaptured escape prisoner jailed
Two days after he was nabbed in Omai area, Essequibo, the last of the four prisoners who escaped from the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court over a month ago was jailed yesterday.
Keiron Cummings at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday
Keiron Cummings, 24, who was initially in court on 12 different charges, including carjackings and armed robberies, yesterday faced Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on an escape from lawful custody charge.
The Sophia resident, along with 28-year-old Vickram Persaud, Steve Richard Bacchus and Randolph Marques, escaped from the Magistrates’ Court on May 19, last, by ripping the grill work and the mesh that covered the window at the back of the building to provide ventilation to prisoners in the holding cell.
They then proceeded to climb down the back wall and to scale the fence, cutting a strand of razor wire at the top of the fence.
The breakout occurred around 12:45 hrs that day, during a heavy downpour, while the men were awaiting their scheduled court appearances.
While Cummings managed to maintain a low profile for more than a month, the other prisoners were not so lucky.
Bacchus had his freedom cut short when he was dragged out of a minibus at Hadfield Street, Georgetown less than two hours after the breakout while Persaud was shot dead at Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice.
Randolph Marks was found under his mother’s bed in a house at Freeman Street, East La Penitence less than a day after the breakout.
It was after being on the run for 33 days that Cummings, of ‘C’ Field Sophia, East Coast Demerara was recaptured in the Omai area, Essequibo last weekend and charged.
The charge against him detailed that on May 19, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court lockups while being a remanded prisoner pending charges for robbery under arms, he escaped from lawful custody.
In a plea of mitigation, he said, “Ma worship, I ain’t got nothing to say. I see people was going so I go for my freedom. I saw people going through the hole and I go.”
Cummings told the Magistrate that he had had no prior convictions, but to his evident surprise the Chief Magistrate told him that he had been sentenced on three counts of robbery under arms in absentia.
“The court conducted the trial ex-parte and found you guilty on three counts of robbery under arms. You were sentenced to four years on each,” the Chief Magistrate informed him.
Police Prosecutor, Corporal Bharat Mangru told the court that Cummings also had nine pending matters in the court – three in the city court and six others at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
In sentencing, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry indicated that she considered the seriousness of the offence and that he pleaded guilty and had not wasted the court’s time.
The court had mulled over that he had escaped from custody, that he has nine pending charges, three convictions as well as the fact that the maximum possible for the charge was three years imprisonment.
He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on the escape from lawful custody charge. The sentences, she said, will run concurrently.
Cummings had faced five counts of armed robbery, two counts of attempt to commit a felony, a break and enter and larceny charge, possession of firearm and ammunition, one count of threatening behaviour and another for discharging a loaded firearm.
The three jail terms which were handed down in his absence were for barging into the home of the former Assistant Commissioner on February 20, holding him, his son and his daughter-in-law at gunpoint and relieving them of over $500,000 in cash, jewellery and other items.
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