File on escapee sent to DPP

File on escapee sent to DPP

Posted By Staff On August 13, 2008

As the hunt continues for murder accused Trevor Major who escaped from a prison van several weeks ago, the police have concluded their investigations and the file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.

This is according to a senior police officer who also told this newspaper yesterday that there had been no further sighting of the accused.

Though the escapee was alleged to have committed murder, to date the police have not issued a wanted bulletin for his recapture.

The two policemen who were with the prisoner at the time of the daylight escape which occurred near the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, were placed under close arrest shortly after the incident and investigations began.

Statements were taken from the prisoners who were in the van with Major and according to reports they have given detailed information on how the prisoner managed to pick the handcuffs he was wearing before escaping. According to the police, on July 30, 20-year-old Major was among five remand prisoners who were being transported in a police prison van from the Providence Police Station back to the Georgetown Prison “when it is alleged that he managed to pick the handcuffs and open the prison van door and escaped in the vicinity of Croal Street.”
The escape is said to have occurred around 3.30 pm.

It is unclear at what point the man was discovered missing or how he managed to get out of a moving vehicle which according to the two ranks was locked.

When escorting prisoners, the van are locked with a large padlock from the outside. Even if the padlock was not locked but still hooked onto the door it would still have been difficult for Major to escape.
Major was charged last Septem-ber with the murder of security guard Melvin Sancho whose decomposing body was found on a bed in his Supply, East Bank Demerara home. At the time of his escape, the preliminary inquiry was still being conducted.

Marva Thomas, the mother of the man whom the escapee allegedly killed, is adamant that the getaway should never have occurred. She had told Stabroek News days after the escape that she was present at the Providence Magistrate’s Court one afternoon earlier this year, when the man got out of the docks and attempted to run out of the court. He was captured by the policemen present and was then taken from the court upon the order of the presiding Magistrate.

She had also said that despite this attempt to flee there were no obvious additional security measures enforced at his subsequent court appearances.

Meanwhile, it has been over a month since multi-murder accused Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles, managed to squeeze under loose floor boards in his cell shortly after an appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court and flee the area unnoticed.

Ranks only realized that he was missing several hours later when they were preparing to take the prisoners back to the Camp Street prison.

Members of the force seem to be divided as to where the man might have fled. Some say that he might have slipped out of the country through our porous borders while others opined that he had rejoined his criminal gang. However the police have said that resources have been dedicated to chasing after him. A $2 million reward was subsequently ordered for any information that would lead to his recapture.

Charles was charged with several high profile murders including that of former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his siblings and security guard and the brutal slaying of five Kaieteur News press men.
Following the escape, several ranks who were on duty at the station at the time were transferred.


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Handcuffed man bolts from Wales court after jail sentence

Handcuffed man bolts from Wales court after jail sentence

Posted By Staff On August 15, 2008

Moments after he was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment, a 19-year-old Patentia, West Bank Demerara man yesterday bolted out of the Wales Magistrate’s Court and escaped into the nearby cane fields.

Police gave chase but failed to apprehend Sherwin Glenn. Up to press time last night he had not been found.
He is the third prisoner to have escaped while in police custody in the last two months.

The man made his dash for freedom around 12:30 pm seconds after Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton had sentenced him to prison, when he appeared before her for several matters.

Stabroek News was informed that the magistrate sentenced Glenn to one year imprisonment for unlawful wounding. He pleaded not guilty to a charge of simple larceny and was told that he had to return to court next Thursday to answer to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.

After adjourning the matter this newspaper was told, Glenn was being escorted to the court lock-ups by at a policeman when he dashed out of the court room. At the time he was wearing handcuffs and he managed to run into the cane fields located a short distance away.
This newspaper understands that ranks pursued him but failed to catch him. Several weeks ago, murder accused 20-year-old Trevor Major escaped from a moving prison van after reportedly picking the lock on the handcuffs he was wearing. He was among several other remand prisoners who were being escorted to the Camp Street prison after making appearances at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.
The two policemen, who were with the prisoner at the time of the daylight escape which occurred near the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, were placed under close arrest. Investigations were completed and the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
Major was charged last September with the murder of security guard Melvin Sancho whose decomposing body was found on a bed in his Supply, East Bank Demerara home.

Since his escape there has been no further sighting of him. There is also the case of multiple murder accused Jermaine `Skinny’ Charles who in June managed to squeeze under loose floor boards in his cell, shortly after an appearance at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, and flee the area unnoticed.

Ranks only realized that he was missing several hours later when they were preparing to take the prisoners back to the Camp Street prison.
Charles was charged with several high profile murders including that of former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his siblings and security guard and the brutal slaying of five Kaieteur News press men.

Following the escape, several ranks who were on duty at the station at the time were transferred.
Another prisoner Shawn Yhap had fled from prison authorities at the Timehri airport while he was on an assignment to play the steel pan. He was recaptured several days later on the East Coast.


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Cops Under Watch After Trevor Major, Murder Accused Flees

Cops under watch after murder accused flees
Posted By Staff On August 1, 2008 @ 5:10 am
By Zoisa Fraser
Two police ranks have been placed under close arrest following the mid- afternoon escape of a murder accused from a prison van on Wednesday as he and others were being taken back to the Camp Street prison after an appearance at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.
Despite several searches by members of the Guyana Police Force on Wednesday and yesterday, Trevor Major has not been apprehended and up to press time last evening no wanted bulletin had been issued for him.
In a press release issued at minutes to six yesterday afternoon police said that the circumstances surrounding the 20-year-old’s escape on Wednesday are being investigated.
According to the release Major who hails from Mc Kenzie, Linden and Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara was among five other remanded prisoners who were being transported in a police prison van from the Providence Police Station back to the Georgetown Prison “when it is alleged that he managed to pick the handcuffs and open the prison van door and escape in the vicinity of Croal Street”.
As the investigations continue two police ranks are under close arrest, the release said.
Though the escape reportedly occurred around 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon, yesterday’s release was the first from the police. Observers have said that residents on the East Bank should have been immediately alerted by the police of the escape via radio and television.
When contacted yesterday Police Public Relations Officer, Ivelaw Whittaker could not provide any information to this newspaper and Whittaker said when he was asked about the likelihood of a press release being dispatched later said that he did not have any information at that point in time. This was yesterday morning. This newspaper then attempted to get some more information about two hours after noon but was told again by Whittaker that no information was available.
Major was charged last September with the murder of security guard Melvin Sancho whose decomposing body was found on a bed in his Supply, East Bank Demerara home.
There were wounds to Sancho’s head and a bloody piece of wood was lying nearby. Major was arrested several days after the gruesome discovery which was made when residents living nearby were alerted to a strong stench. He was placed before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and the matter was then transferred to the Providence Court. At the time of his escape, the preliminary inquiry was still being conducted.
This newspaper was reliably informed that the prisoner made his dash for freedom in the vicinity of the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court after freeing himself of the handcuffs he was wearing. It is not clear if the ranks saw when he jumped out.
The prison vans are usually locked with huge padlocks from the outside so it is unclear how Major managed to get out of the moving vehicle. Even if the padlock was not locked but still hooked on the door it would still have been difficult for him to escape.
Deputy prison head Poshanand Tahal told this newspaper that the incident is out of the hands of the prison department since it was the police who were escorting the prisoners at the time of the escape.
“This has nothing to do with us. It is the police who was escorting the prisoners”, he said.
Tahal added that the information he has is that the prisoners left the court and somewhere along the route, Major escaped. He did not say where or when the escape may have occurred.
He could not provide this newspaper with any information on what may have transpired on Wednesday afternoon but said that “I am getting more information from reading the newspapers than I am getting from the police or my people”.
Further he said that on Wednesday the police took some statements and left. This newspaper was later told that the police visited the prison and took statements from the prisoners who were travelling with Major at the time of the incident.
This newspaper was told that the van was not being escorted by a police vehicle as is customary. It is unclear if others in the van also attempted to escape.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said yesterday that the two ranks who were escorting the prisoners have been placed under close arrest.
Asked where the ranks were during the journey, he said that the two were sitting at the front of the vehicle. The prisoners would have been secured in the enclosed back of the vehicle.
According to him, to facilitate his escape, the accused picked the lock on his handcuffs and the police have already taken statements from the prisoners to ascertain how he did that.
This escape comes on the heels of another which occurred a month ago during which multiple murder accused Jermaine `Skinny’ Charles managed to escape unnoticed from the Sparendaam Police Station lock-ups.
According to reports he managed to squeeze under loose floor boards in his cell shortly after a court appearance and ranks only realized that he was missing several hours later when they were preparing to take the prisoners back to the Camp Street prison.
Several ranks have since been transferred from that station and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) now has to decide if charges will be laid again any of the officers.
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Previously Escaped from Court -Mother Of Victim of Marvin Sancho

Trevor Major, Accused of Murdering Marvin Sancho: Previously Escaped from Court -Mother Of Victim of Marvin Sancho
Murder accused, Trevor Major, who mysteriously managed to escape from a prisons vehicle while on the way from Providence to Camp Street, had fled from court before and so the police should have been extra wary with him, the mother of his alleged victim says.
Marva Thomas, the mother of the man whom the escapee allegedly killed, is adamant that the flight should never have occurred. She told Stabroek News yesterday that she was present at the Providence Magistrate’s Court one afternoon earlier this year, when the man got out of the docks and attempted to run out of the Court. He was captured by the policemen present and was then taken from the court upon orders by the presiding Magistrate. Thomas said that the now escaped prisoner had taken advantage of the limited police presence at the court on that afternoon. She was later told by the police that the man had picked the handcuffs. The woman told this newspaper that she cannot remember whether or not the prisoner’s hands were handcuffed at the time of his attempted getaway. She did note, however, that even after that escape attempt by Major, there were no obvious additional security measures enforced at his subsequent court appearances.
The clearly upset mother said that she was not informed of the prisoner’s escape on Wednesday until she was told by a neighbour on Thursday. “Words cannot express my anger at the entire situation” she said, “particularly when taking into consideration that he attempted to escape before. Such prisoners should be kept in chains” she added. She expressed her wish for the escaped convict to be recaptured urgently.
The accused murderer escaped from a prison van on Wednesday afternoon as he and others were being taken back to Camp Street prison after an appearance at the Providence Magistrate’s Court. It is alleged that the prisoner managed to pick the handcuffs and open the prison van door in the vicinity of Croal Street. Searches by members of the Guyana Police Force for him proved futile. Two police ranks have since been placed under close arrest following his disappearance.
Major was charged last September with the murder of security guard Marvin Sancho. The guard’s decomposing body was found in a bed in his home at Supply, East Bank Demerara. Residents were alerted by a strong stench coming from the home of the murdered man, and when a search was carried out, Sancho’s body was found with wounds to his head and a bloody piece of wood was lying nearby.
Deputy prison head Poshanand Tahal told this newspaper on Thursday that the incident is out of the hands of the prison department since it was the police who were escorting the prisoners at the time of the escape.
“This has nothing to do with us. It is the police who was escorting the prisoners”, he said.
Tahal added that the information he has is that the prisoners left the court and somewhere along the route, Major escaped. He did not say where or when the escape may have occurred.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said on Thursday that the two ranks who were escorting the prisoners have been placed under close arrest.
Asked where the ranks were during the journey, he said that the two were sitting at the front of the vehicle. The prisoners would have been secured in the enclosed back of the vehicle.
According to him, to facilitate his escape, the accused picked the lock on his handcuffs and the police have already taken statements from the prisoners to ascertain how he did that.
This escape comes on the heels of another which occurred a month ago during which multiple murder accused Jermaine `Skinny’ Charles managed to escape unnoticed from the Sparendaam Police Station lock-ups.
According to reports he managed to squeeze under loose floor boards in his cell shortly after a court appearance and ranks only realized that he was missing several hours later when they were preparing to take the prisoners back to the Camp Street prison.
Several ranks have since been transferred from that station and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) now has to decide if charges will be laid again any of the officers.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/news/escapee-had-fled-before/

The Sick In The Gold-Fields

The Sick In The Gold-Fields –
To The Editor: The Daily Chronicle,
Sir,- Adverting to your issue of Sunday, anent, a letter signed by “C. Gavinston Colthurst,” relative to a sick man by the name of W. H. Yhap, who it is alleged, had been bitten by a snake, I have no doubt that the victim did suffer excruciating pain, and that there were some who refused to bring him out from the placer, I regret the circumstance, but at the same time I beg to state for the information of the public that the two men who brought him to the waterside are villagers of Victoria Village, and the other two strangers have been paid for their services. Among those who contributed money to defray his expenses from Cuyuni to Georgetown are Joseph Cupido, George Cupido, Eddie Campbell, R.C. Haynes, Joseph A. Adams, Cambridge Adams, Allick Sancho and myself – all of whom belong to this village.
I am, Sir, etc,
Frederick W. Collins
Victoria Village,
August 8, 1904
Source: Correspondence – The Daily Chronicle, Tuesday, August 9, 1904: Page 4.