MAGISTRATE Adela Nagamootoo has questioned why police have not adhered to the order she signed allowing prisoner Richard Barrow to seek specialist treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud drew the court’s attention to his client’s hand that has a hole which was derived from a gunshot injury, following an incident with the police at Smythfield, New Amsterdam.
“Your Worship, despite repeated appeals, my client was not taken. The New Amsterdam Hospital is not equipped to deal with the extent of this injury, and the prison can only address minor surgeries. My client’s fingers are immovable.”
Magistrate Nagamootoo stated that, a few weeks ago, a detective brought to her attention a medical from a doctor in New Amsterdam, requesting an order to have the prisoner taken to Georgetown for specialist treatment.
“I signed that Order the same day,” the magistrate emphasized. “I have to report to the Commander (that) the police are not obeying my orders. If something had happened to him [referring to Barrow] who would have been blamed?”
On July 20 last, Barrow, wanted for a series of robbery-under-arms offences, was shot by police a short distance from his mother’s home at Smythfield, New Amsterdam. He was thereafter taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he underwent an emergency surgery.
On August 8, following an initial appearance at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court, Barrow was not required to plead to a charge of escape from lawful custody. He was refused bail and remanded to prison.
Additionally, the thirty-year-old faced four charges of robbery under arms, to wit, on February 27 at Number Seven Village, East Coast Berbice, he robbed Indranie Ramnarine of a quantity of gold and yellow metal jewellery, two cell phones, phone cards and two wrist watches, totalling $269,000.
Police have alleged that on February 3, the defendant Barrow, in company with others, robbed minibus passenger Thakoordyal Ramshair, a clerk attacked to beverage giant Demerara Distilleries Limited, of a driver’s licence and $14,000 in cash.
In addition, minibus driver Chetram Sirkissoon was robbed of $200,000, property of James Ross.
The robbery attack stemmed from a hold-up along the Number 19 Public Road, during which Barrow, posing as a passenger, robbed the unsuspecting men of their properties.
Police say Barrow and two others joined a minibus in New Amsterdam, and when it was at Number 19 Village, he took away $200,000 from the driver and then robbed a passenger of $14,000.
Barrow is also accused of taking the $2M minibus away from the driver.