Recaptured Bartica massacre killer is under tight security

Oct 11, 2017 News

– Prison Director reassures

Director of Prison, Gladwin Samuels, yesterday reassured that Bartica massacre killer, Mark Royden Durant, called Royden Williams and “Smallie”, who was recaptured Monday night in a minibus at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice (WCB) is placed under tight security.
Samuel said that the prison escapee is being kept at the Camp Street prison and there is joint services presence at the prison. But there was a joint service presence when Williams broke out of the Camp Street jail.
Kaieteur News was informed that Williams is a high profile prisoner and is isolated. He is in the ‘block’ building that was rehabilitated after the July 9, 2017 prison break that led to 90 percent of the prison being burnt. Before his escape he was on Death Row facing the death penalty.
At this time no one could say whether Williams will be taken to Mazaruni Prison.
Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, refused to comment on the arrest of Williams. He said that he will be speaking at a press conference organized today.
Meanwhile, a senior police official said that there is “tight” security at the prison and in the area where the escapee is placed. “For security reason we cannot say where exactly Williams is being housed but he is secured.”
The source said that a meeting will be held to discuss a special security arrangement to monitor Williams, who is a Death Row inmate.

Bartica massacre killer, Mark Royden Durant called Royden William and “Smallie”

This newspaper was informed that ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) SWAT team and Tactical Service Unit (TSU) were present at the Camp Street facility yesterday.
According to the police, Williams was captured unarmed at approximately 20:00hrs on Monday while in a passenger minibus at Weldaad along the West Coast Berbice Public Road. He was escorted to the Camp Street prison.
The escapee was caught unarmed and he had cut his dreadlocks. Williams will be charged soon for escaping from the Camp street prison.
It was around 17:00 hrs on July 9, last when Williams, Uree Varwyck, Alexander Hopkinson and Desmond James broke out of the facility after arranging with other inmates to set fire to several sections of the prison as a distraction.
During the prison break, senior prison officer, Odinga Wickham was shot and chopped to death. Prison warders Hubert Trim, Simeon Sandy, Errol Daphness, Drexel Gonsalves, Jason Maltoy and Dominic Mingo also sustained injuries.
James and Hopkinson have since been recaptured. Varswyck was killed during a shootout with joint services at Wismar Linden. Williams, who was spotted in his company, managed to escape. He was not seen again until Monday night when the police received intel information that he was seen traveling in the mini bus.
So far, Cobena Stephen and Paul Goriah remain on the run. Stephens escaped while inmates from the Camp Street prison were being transported to the Lusignan prison, while Goriah was among 13 inmates who dug their way out of the Camp Street prison on July 24, last.