The woman corporal, who is accused of being negligent by allowing two prisoners held in connection with arson at the Ministry of Health to escape custody, was yesterday placed on bail in the sum of $300,000 when she appeared before Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on July 27 at Providence Police Station, Corporal of Police Diana Chichester, 44, of 46 Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, having lawful custody of Colin Jones and Kurt Thierens, negligently and carelessly allowed them to escape from lawful custody.
Chichester pleaded not guilty to the charge of negligently allowing persons in custody to escape.
Attorney-at-Law Patrice Henry who represented the defendant told the court that there is no evidence from the prosecution to prove that his client did any wrongdoing. Henry added that his client was the only rank on duty at the time and discovered the prisoners missing during a periodic check at the cell in which they were being kept.
The lawyer argued that the prisoners may have picked the locks in order to escape as opposed to physical breakage which would have left
evidence behind.
“My worship, because there was no physical breakage left by the prisoners does not mean that my client allowed them to escape freely,” the lawyer argued. “it could have been that the said prisoners picked the locks in their bid to escape, thus leaving no evidence behind, suggesting therefore that their work was expertly and constructively executed.”
Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith argued, however, that the accused, knowing that high-profile prisoners were in her care, should have exercised greater caution and vigilance in terms of monitoring the wanted men. Griffith added that the corporal had given conflicting stories explaining her whereabouts at the time of the escape.
Though the police prosecutor had no objection to the bail application made by the attorney, she made an application that the said bail be granted in a substantial sum.
Chichester was ordered to attend the Providence Magistrate’s Court on October 21. Commissioner of Police Henry Greene had said at a press conference that the two men who escaped, Thierens called ‘Bage’ or ‘Glasses’ and Jones called ‘Bonny’, were among six persons who had been arrested so far in connection with the July 17 fire, but were separated from the others and taken to the Providence facility, which, according to him, was “very secure”.
