The double amputee who was on Tuesday sentenced to four years in prison for stabbing his wife in the chest will have to serve his sentence elsewhere.
iWitness News was reliably informed that prison authorities said that their facilities were not equipped to house 54-year-old Andrew Myers of Buccament Bay.
The fact that the man’s legs have been amputated below the knees and uses a wheelchair did not deter Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett from jailing him for four years.
Mr. Myers, a diabetic, pleaded guilty to a malicious and unlawful wounding charge in relation to a 10-centimetre deep stab wound he inflicted to the chest of his wife, Monique Myers, last Saturday at their Buccament Bay home.
Mr. Myers stabbed his wife while police were about to leave their home after he had summoned them, claiming falsely that his wife and their son were beating him.
Mrs. Myers told the court that their 27-year marriage has been a very abusive one and the abuse continued even after her husband, a diabetic, lost one leg in 2016 and the other in 2017.
She said that her husband has repeatedly threatened to kill her and has attacked her before with the knife.
Before the stabbing incident last Saturday, Mr. Myers had asked an ex-prisoner what life in prison was like, his wife told the court.
iWitness News understands that after prison authorities said they could not accommodate Myers in Kingstown, he was taken to the Questelles Police Station, where other persons, such as minors, have been held on remand or serve prison sentences.
However, information reaching iWitness News is that police and prison authorities are trying to determine what provisions need to be made to house the prisoner.
One person commenting on the development, said, “Well, the magistrate has done his job. It is up to the prison system to figure out how to do theirs.”
iWitness News was reliably informed that some of Mr. Myers’ relatives contacted a lawyer on Wednesday complaining that the prisoner had not had a shower since being sentenced around noon on Tuesday.
Her Majesty’s Prisons, in Kingstown, the main prison facility, is over 100 years old and is not designed to accommodate someone who uses a wheelchair.
It is not clear whether Belle Isle Correctional Facility, which was built about a decade ago, has reduced mobility access and other facilities that Myers might need because of his physical condition.
Understood that the reporter was IWN Kenton Chance. Many thanks for the reporting.
Your account in the original story, speaks to ‘…adjudicating travesty.’
None may escape punishment for reasons of being handicapped.
This defendant would require ‘…total care.’ Prison officers are not so trained.
That said, the prison has never been ‘…home for the infirm or the
almost totally incapacitated.’
The facts, not disputed by the amputee/defendant, are quite clear.
The Magistrate was to be the sole judge of facts and law.
He solely determines appropriate penalties.
Hence he needed no intervention, not from the prosecutor and none from
the attorney who was not so engaged by the amputee/defendant.
It now begs the questions (i) ‘…Why invited ‘…comments/evidence’ from
an attorney who offered ‘…evidence suggesting preparation of the crime; (ii)
Why no offering of mitigation? (iii) …Why asked for guidance from the
prosecution as to the punishment?’
Even with a guilty plea, these are appellate grounds the Eastern Caribbean
Supreme Court (ECSC), might strongly feel ‘…influenced the imposition of the
custodial sentence.’
10 centimetre deep wound OR 10 millimetres?
This man will deteriorate in prison the system is not equipped to hand cases like that. They need to find another sentence maybe a home for assisted living something. What he did was wrong, Thank God his wife is alive but we as human beings must try to see ourselves in that position( I’m talking about what he did wrong here). He foot being cut off and he can’t do what he was doing before with that comes frustration it’s a hard place to be in. Most times in these situation the immediate family can be provoking at times to that person ex:saying things like hurtful as he said she was already saying things. I’m not believing the wife is all innocent it takes two to tangle. It’s an abusive relationship for 27yrs she stayed why not try to get help at some point. Wife pray for your husband and forgive him. If it so bad get out if it and still pray for him and forgive him. Make sure your heart is clean where your husband is concern, make sure you didn’t made him feel less than a man instead of uplifting him,because when God ready to convict its won’t nice. Its an unfortunate situation. God bless them.
He can’t go there even though he’s a prisoner he still a human being. They need to find some other sentence or have him go to the station every day. Prison did the right thing they know they not equip. Look since Tuesday he has shower. The judge know the system is not equipped. why send him there?
Send him to the Poor Home. He’ll be sure to get lots of “wife” there.
The prison cannot cope with someone just bumming around all day.
Well I hope he realise the situation hess in and that no one cares about how he gets around or even if he shower. And that he also realise that the same person he could have possible killed after stabbing her in her chest , is the only person who really cares and would have taken good care of him despite the situation