Louie Cupid, the prison officer charged in connection with the escape of an accused murderer was returned to jail on Friday although he was granted bail.
The 45-year-old Murray’s Village man was unable to get a surety to sign his EC$15,000 bail bond by the time the court was adjourned for the day.
Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne granted Cupid bail after Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche told the court that the crown was no longer objecting to bail, as was the case one week earlier.
He, however, said that should bail be considered, that the court should ask for sufficient surety, impose reporting conditions, order Cupid to surrender his travel documents, and issue stop orders.
The chief magistrate asked for one surety, and ordered Cupid to report to the Central Police Station on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
She ordered him to surrender his travel documents, and to seek the permission of the court to travel.
Browne also ordered that stop notices be placed at ports of entry and exit.
Later in the court sitting, after the bail condition had been outlined, Cupid’s lawyer, Grant Connell told the court that Cupid’s family has a vehicle that is worth EC$10,000.
The matter was adjourned to Nov. 12.
He asked the court if the bail amount could not be reduced to that figure.
However, the chief magistrate said no.
“Fifteen thousand, your honour?” Connell said. “If his family can’t make it, he going back to jail.”
Cupid was among a number of prisoners who left the court compound in a prison van at the end of Friday’s sitting of the court.
Cupid has pleaded not guilty to corruption and conspiracy charges in connection with the escape, between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, of accused murderer, Veron Primus, 32.
Primus escaped from Her Majesty’s Prisons in Kingstown while awaiting trial for the November 2015 murder of real estate agent, Sharleen Greaves, 33.
He pleaded guilty to a charge relating to his escape and was sentenced to 16 months in jail.
Primus has also been indicted in the United States on a murder charge relating to the death in 2006 of a 16-year-old girl.
He had also been facing abduction, rape and buggery charges in connection with his alleged imprisonment of a woman at a house in Vermont in 2016.
However, those charges were withdrawn after the woman did not testify at the preliminary hearing.
What are the circumstances surrounding these charges. We know that Veron Primus escaped and there were certain Prison Officers on duty when this occurred? Are there any real evidence to charge these Officers criminally for conspiracy or should these persons be charged disciplinary?
Seems like we are trying to find a scape goat for a broken system. These charges may not fly. A charge of dereliction or neglect of duty may easily suffice in these circumstances rather than a criminal charge, which carries a higher threshold or burden of proof. Such charges may result in terminations. Is this a ploy to satisfy the Government and International Community?
Poetic justice. Ain’t no fun when the rabbit gets the gun