A former Grenada Attorney-General has been retained by family members of the two Americans killed by three escape prisoners from the South St George Police Station on February 18.
Legal sources told THE NEW TODAY that Jimmy Bristol, KC who served for a brief period in the 2008-13 Congress government of Tillman Thomas has been recruited by the surviving family members to look after their interest in the matter in Grenada.
When contacted, Bristol confirmed that he had been retained by the family but declined to give any specific details.
“I can’t comment because they are my clients – I cannot say a single word. I can’t tell you what I think they should do or shouldn’t do because that will be a total breach of confidentiality and I can be disbarred for doing that,” he said.
According to Bristol, he was only approached by the family members after the Grenada incident took place.
In 2021, a high court awarded one million $EC in damages to the family of Grenadian-born Canadian naturalised citizen Oscar Bartholomew who met his death in December 2011 after he was badly beaten by several police officers at a police station in St. David.
Master Jan Drysdale handed down the ruling in a civil suit brought by Colette St Cyr, the wife of 39-year old Bartholomew and Shem Pierre, on behalf of the Administrators of the Estate of the deceased.
Attorney-at-law Derick Sylvester was retained by the Bartholomew family to represent them in the lawsuit.
Bartholomew’s wife had stopped at the St David’s police station to use the washroom when the deceased bear hugged a female police officer who cried out for help and her male colleagues attempted to arrest him.
There was some kind of altercation and he was taken into custody and mauled by police officers who were then charged with Manslaughter in 2017.
In the current matter, 71-year old Kathy Brandel and her 66-year old male companion Ralph Hendry were kidnapped by the three escaped prisoners who commandeered their catamaran boat, “Simplicity” to help them escape to neighboring St Vincent & The Grenadines.
The three prisoners from Paradise, St Andrew – Ron Mitchell, Abita Stanislaus and Trevon Robertson – reportedly killed the two Americans and threw their bodies into the high seas.
Days after they were captured in St Vincent and deported to Grenada, the trio were charged for the murder of the two Yachties and remanded to the Richmond Hill prison until their next court appearance on March 27 for only “Mention.”
The retainer fee to secure the services of Bristol comes against the backdrop of the first press conference held Tuesday by Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dickon Mitchell on the issue involving the two Americans.
The Grenadian leader spent most of the time dealing with the outcome of an investigation undertaken by Acting Commissioner of Police Don McKenzie into the circumstances in which the prisoners were able to break out from the police station.
PM Dickon Mitchell disclosed that the report concerning the investigation done by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ryan Hall was handed in and Disciplinary charges taken early Tuesday morning against 4 police officers on duty at the time of the break-out – Detective Sergeant Lewis, Corporal 624 Edwards, and Constables 224 Chad George and 520 Baptiste.
The Prime Minister said the officers have been charged with various offences under the Police Act ranging from making a false statement, permitting the escape of a prisoner and breaches of the RGPF Standing Orders.
He pointed out that the officers are entitled to due process and to have their fair day at the Disciplinary Hearing.
Under the Police Act, the officers will appear before an Adjudicating Officer who will then submit a report to the Commissioner of Police with the findings and also recommendations.
Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell told reporters that the necessary safeguards and procedures will be put in place to ensure that the officers who will appear before the Disciplinary Tribunal will be given an opportunity to have proper representation and the right to defend themselves.”
“When the process is completed the chips will fall where they have to fall,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister indicated that the leadership at the South St George Police Station “is a matter that requires attention” in light of the incident.
He said that Commissioner McKenzie has also launched an investigation to review the role of the leadership at the station at the time and when that process is completed the matter will be drawn to the attention of the Public Service Commission (PSC) who is responsible for police officers from Inspector upwards.
He told reporters that the island’s chief cop has already issued directives to the various Divisional Commanders to undertake a comprehensive review and assessment of all police stations, especially their infrastructure with emphasis on the cells for holding prisoners.
According to the Grenadian leader, the exercise to be undertaken will see a review and if necessary the strengthening of the outer cell doors of all police stations in order to minimise and reduce the risk of unauthorized access by some persons.
The Prime Minister identified another measure to be implemented as the erecting of self-contained cell clusters at police stations with integrated toilets and bathroom facilities since some police stations have no basic toilet and bathroom facilities immediately where the cells are located.
He said the clear intention is to greatly reduce the movement of prisoners which give them an opportunity to escape custody.
PM Dickon Mitchell also announced that Close Circuit CCTV will be implemented at police station to cover entrances and exits to cells and also a review and enhancement of the police protocols for the handling of prisoners.
He said it is clear from the investigation carried out by ASP Hall that the standard operating procedures were not followed in the case of the three escaped prisoners.
As part of the overhaul of the system, there will also be a review of the protocol for escorting prisoners to and from police stations, to and from courthouses or any other places that they are required to visit, as well as the necessary training to be undertaken.
The Prime Minister also made mention of plans to invest thousands of dollars to secure equipment to transport prisoners to and from court rooms, to and from the prison and to and from the police stations.
In addition, the police force will be called upon to develop a classification system for prisoners based on their risk profile, and the necessary protocols that come with that also has to be undertaken.
In an apparent attack on the former Keith Mitchell-led regime, PM Dickon Mitchell lamented that many places used as police stations in Grenada should not be in operation as they have deteriorated significantly over the years.
He said these buildings are old, lack modern amenities even for use by civilians, much less to be housing prisoners.
The Prime Minister backed the contention of Commissioner McKenzie that if proper police protocol was followed the 3 prisoners should not have escaped custody at the South St George Police station.
He said the Ryan Hall-led investigation revealed that the four (4) individual cells at the station all had secure and proper locking mechanisms but the escapees were not placed inside the individual cells.
He stressed that when the prisoners escaped, they were in a corridor which had burglar bars and they were able to bend the iron grill to get out of the compound.
According to PM Dickon Mitchell, it is clear that if the prisoners had been placed in the individual locking cells which had proper and functional locking mechanisms they would not have been able to get that opportunity to escape custody.
He also told reporters that two days prior to the escape, warnings had been issued to officers at South St George that the prisoners were “high risk and were also a flight risk.”
“Based on those warnings it was therefore even more important to ensure that all of the standard operating procedures were followed to minimise any risk associated with the prisoners being at the police station,” he said.
The Prime Minister stated that investigation concluded that there was a failure to heed “the crucial alerts, a failure to follow the standard operating procedures, there was clear supervisory negligence and improper shift handovers and that those factors contributed to the opportunity being presented to the prisoners to escape.”
He said the RGPF has accepted that “human error primarily in the form of negligence played a pivotal role in the escape of the prisoners.”
However, PM Dickon Mitchell assured Grenadians that he still has “full confidence in the Commissioner of Police and the Executive and Management of the Police and I have full confidence in the officers of the Police Service.”
He spoke of his confidence that “the leadership of the police is prepared to hold the institution of the police accountable in circumstances where officers fall below the expected standard of behaviour.”
He went on to say: “As Minister of National Security, we do not think it wise or sensible for us as citizens of Grenada to malign the police or to disrespect the police.”
“We will not accept, tolerate or encourage this”, said PM Dickon Mitchell who was quick to add that “the police play an invaluable role in public safety and the security of this nation.”
“It is a dangerous job, and many times a thankless job, it is a job that doesn’t pay hundreds of thousands of dollars but it is a job that is absolutely necessary and as citizens of the country we need to support and permit the police to do their job when they are doing so.”
Commissioner McKenzie has been facing the brunt of the public criticisms on the issue of the escape of the prisoners and the murder of the two Americans especially after a briefing two weeks ago.