…recaptured escapee says
“Your Worship I murder a man from de Essequibo Coast,” was Ronald Daniels’s response when Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson asked him what he was doing during the almost two years since he had escaped from the Mazaruni prison.
Daniels also called `Black Boy’, 28, of Bethany Mission, Essequibo also pleaded guilty to the charge of escaping from lawful custody, when he appeared yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It was alleged that on December 12, 2006, Daniels who was serving a five-year sentence for break and enter and larceny, broke out of the Mazaruni Prison and had been on the run ever since.
Prosecutor Sherwin Mathews stated that on the day in question, Daniels was conducting some construction work in a compound, when he managed to jump over the western fence of the compound and escape through some nearby bushes.
The prosecutor went on to say that on December 20 of this year, the police, acting on information received, conducted a search in a house at Sideline Dam, Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, and apprehended Daniels.
Meanwhile, Daniels told the court that before he escaped, he had served just seven months of his five-year sentence and the reason he had escaped was because, “I never use to get visit”. He added that since his recapture no one has visited him. When the magistrate asked him what he was doing while he was on the run, he stated quite calmly that he had murdered a man from the Essequibo Coast.
While on the run, Daniels was also wanted by the police, for a number of simple larceny offences committed on the Essequibo Coast and for the 2007 murder of logger and businessman Indar Gajadhar of Zorg, Essequibo Coast.
According to reports, Gajadhar was cutting logs in the backdam with his workers, when a man approached demanding his chainsaw. Gajadhar refused and was shot in the region of his ribs.
Prior to his death, Gajadhar had often complained about a man who had been stealing from the workers in the backdam but always escaping afterwards. Gajadhar had also reported the matter to the police.
Daniels was charged on Monday with Gajadhar’s murder and when he appeared before Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court he was remanded to prison until January 29.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Robertson yesterday sentenced Daniels to two years imprisonment for the escape charge.
She ordered that the sentences run consecutively, so when he has completed the five-year sentence for the break and enter and larceny charge, he will then spend the additional two years.
