Lone fugitive on the run as…

Third prison escapee caught
– found hiding under bed in city home

THE third of four prisoners who escaped from the Georgetown Magistrates Courts Holding Cell on Monday was found early yesterday morning hiding under a bed in a house on Freeman Street, East La Penitence in Georgetown.

Police received word about the development and rushed to the area, and the fugitive, 20-year-old Randolph Marks, of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown,
was handed over to them.

BRAZEN ESCAPE
It was chaos at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on Monday morning after it was discovered that four notorious convicts who had shown up for court and were being held in the courts’ holding area, had broken their way

‘CAUGHT’: Randolph Marks
‘CAUGHT’: Randolph Marks

out of the facility and had fled the courts’ premises.
The four that escaped were Vickram Persaud, Keron Cummings, Randolph Marks and Steve Bacchus.

Aided by public-spirited citizens, the police chased the fleeing men, but managed to recapture only murder accused Steve Bacchus on Hadfield Street, from where he was reportedly attempting to enter Leopold Street to seek refuge.

A few hours later, on Monday night, the Police confirmed that escaped prisoner, 28-year-old Vickram Persaud called ‘Lil John’ was shot dead “during an armed confrontation with the police” at Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice.

‘ON THE RUN’: Keron Cummings
‘ON THE RUN’: Keron Cummings

The Police said Persaud, of Doctor Dam in La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara, had earlier that day escaped from the lock-ups at the Georgetown Magistrates Court where he was waiting to attend Court.

The Police said an unlicensed .38 revolver has been recovered, while Persaud’s body is at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) mortuary.

Persaud was charged with the murder of Police Tactical Services Unit (TSU) rank, Constable Michael Cumberbatch, in September last year.

LONE FUGITIVE
The forth prisoner, 26-year-old Keron Cummings, of Sophia, is still on the run, and the police have assured that he will be recaptured.

Police ‘A’ Division Commander Clifton Hicken yesterday assured that all efforts are being made to locate and capture the lone fugitive from justice.
In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Commander Hicken related that while the police do not intend to resort to force as its first option in dealing with any issue, force would be employed if the need arises and if it becomes absolutely necessary.

The commander explained that an investigation has already been launched into the incident, and several factors are being looked at to verify what exactly may have contributed to the prisoners’ escape.

He said that the internal investigation would mostly focus on the circumstances surrounding the incident, and whether the security posture at the court had been relaxed in any way to facilitate the process.

One police source who spoke with this publication also explained that, at the time of the breakout, the ranks on duty might have been distracted, but he said that factor would be brought out in the probe.

The police source explained that prisoners usually adopt a very noisy approach whenever they are in custody, since they feel to themselves that they, having already been charged with serious offences, are already in police custody and need not fear being charged again by the cops.

According to the source, it was raining on the day of the escape, and the possibility exists that the noise being made by the rain during that period had prevented police officers from hearing the noise of activities associated with the prisoners’ escape.

Another possible cause for the police not being alerted to what was ongoing on the day in question is the collective noise that was being made by the prisoners.

The source said that the investigation, being done by Commander Hicken’s office, will also be looking to see if, at any time during the course of the day, there had been abnormal noise coming from the prisoners.

That factor would have had some effect in preventing the police officers on duty that day from hearing activities associated with breakout of the facility.

The source reminded that top of the agenda of any prisoner is freedom, and prisoners will always be looking at ways to secure their freedom, and would usually work collaboratively to achieve that objective.

Commander Hicken told the Guyana Chronicle that the Force would also be looking to see if standard operating procedures in regard to security at the court had, in any way, been compromised.

(By Leroy Smith)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.