Members of the Joint Services have launched a manhunt for three prisoners, including two murder accused, who managed to escape from the Lusignan Prison yesterday morning.
The inmates have been identified as Phillip Jhagroo, called ‘Tanky’, 46, Lot B3 Goed Intent, Leguan, Donald Baird, 40, of Lot 22 Hardina Street, Wortmanville, and Mark Emmanuel, 18, of Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara (EBD), who used bedsheets as a makeshift rope to climb over a prison fence.
Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels confirmed the escape, which took place sometime between 1.28am and 1.48am yesterday morning.
In a statement, he said Superintendent Alstan Scott, the Officer-in-charge of the Lusignan Prison Holding Bay, reported that a routine check was conducted around 5.20am yesterday and an improvised rope made of bedsheets was seen hanging from the south western corner of the prison fence.
This, according to Samuels, prompted ranks on duty to conduct a physical muster, during which the three prisoners were unaccounted for.
“Further investigations confirmed that they escaped by scaling the said South Western fence where the improvised rope was found,” Samuels noted.
Samuels said the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service are conducting further investigations into the escape, while adding that “every effort” is being made to recapture the prisoners.
The Prisons Director warned family members of the inmates and members of the public to not assist them in evading law enforcement. “Should you see them or have any information on their whereabouts, please contact the nearest police station,” Samuels urged.
Jhagroo and Baird were charged with murder.
In May, 2019, Jhagroo was remanded to prison after he was charged with killing Leguan youth Mark Narine, following an attack on March 30th, 2019, at School Dam, Richmond Hill, Leguan.
Police have said Narine was on his way home when he was hit off his motorbike by Jhagroo and thrown overboard. Narine was found the next day in a trench at Leguan.
An autopsy performed on the body of the
22-year-old Narine, a labourer of Endeavour, Leguan, Essequibo River, gave his cause of death as drowning. The autopsy also revealed that Narine was severely beaten, as evidenced by the blunt trauma to his face and hands.
It is unclear whose murder Baird was charged with.
Emmanuel was a prisoner on remand for robbery.
There have been numerous episodes, including in recent months, where inmates have either escaped or attempted to escape from the Lusignan Prison. The issue continues to raise questions about security at the facility.
Exactly one month prior to yesterday’s escape, three prisoners, Alex Mathias, Arnold Bruce Kennedy and Mark Rafino, also managed to breakout from the prison.
Mathias and Kennedy were recaptured hours after and were since sentenced to three years imprisonment each after they admitted to escaping from lawful custody. However, Rafino remains on the run.
Prior to this, on September 19th, two inmates, Earl Graham, 51, and Winston Herbert, 21 were fatally shot by guards and five others were wounded after what authorities have described as a riot and attempted breakout at the facility.
The shooting was the culmination of hours of protests by inmates over a number of issues, including overcrowding at the facility and the risk of exposure to COVID-19, which were raised earlier in the day when the Home Affairs and Health ministers visited.
The Opposition APNU+AFC through its shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Geeta Chandan-Edmond recently submitted a motion calling on the National Assembly to compel the government to fully disclose everything that happened at the Lusignan Prison during the unrest of September 19 which led to the death of Graham and Herbert.
Apart from security, overcrowding at the Lusignan prison has also been a longstanding concern.
