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Prison officer Louie Cupid, right, leaves the Serious Offenses Court under police escort in October 2019. (iWN photo)
Prison officer Louie Cupid, right, leaves the Serious Offenses Court under police escort in October 2019. (iWN photo)
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The chief magistrate has granted the Crown a final opportunity to present its case against the prison officer charged in connection with last September’s escape from Her Majesty’s Prison in Kingstown.

Louie Cupid, 45, of Murray’s Village, is awaiting trial on corruption and conspiracy charges arising from the escape, between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2019, of accused murderer, Veron Primus, 32.

The matter has been adjourned several times since Cupid pleaded not guilty at his arraignment last October.

On Tuesday, when the case came up for hearing, Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche told the court that the case file was only returned last Friday to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He said that the prosecution was now examining the file to see if “certain recommendations” they had made to the investigators had been complied with.

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“I am the frontline man to urge the court for an adjournment,” Delplesche said.

He said that if that adjournment is granted, “come high or low water”, the Crown would begin presenting its case on the next date.

In response, defence counsel Grant Connell told the court that he does not know if the record shows that on the last date a final adjournment had been granted.

However, the Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne said that the record shows that on the last date, Connell had asked for an adjournment.

Connell, however, contented that even if he had asked for an adjournment, the prosecution was not ready to proceed on that date.

“The question is how long is your court going to entertain the prosecution,” the lawyer said.

The chief magistrate granted a final adjournment to July 6.