Fighting extradition

It apparently came as an absolute shock to 64-year-old Errol Vivian Jones earlier this year that Canada was seeking to have him extradited from Barbados.

When members of the Royal Barbados Police Force arrived at Jones’ Bridgefield, St Thomas home in the wee hours of January 16, 2019 with a warrant of apprehension and informed him of their purpose for being there he reportedly said: “I don’t know how they could want to extradite me when I was deported from Canada.”

That was the evidence of Inspector Mark White and police constable Robert Alleyne today as the extradition case against Jones continued before Chief Magistrate Christopher Birch in the District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court this morning.

Under cross examination by Jones’ attorney Clement Lashley, QC, both officers said they did not know whether Jones had been deported from Canada or how he had arrived here.

It is alleged that Jones was granted full parole, after serving a portion of his time in prison on two drug charges committed on November 11, 1991 and August 31, 1994. He allegedly failed to comply with the conditions of the parole by failing to check in with the parole office on the given date. This resulted in a warrant being issued by the Canadian Correctional Services for Jones’ arrest. He still had 889 days remaining to serve on his sentence.

However, Officer Alleyne told the court that he did not know under what conditions Jones returned to Barbados.

“I only understood that he was supposed to have breached the conditions of his parole,” Alleyne said.

Immigration officer Terry Symmonds who is in charge of the investigations section, which among other things monitors persons arriving in the country, explained that he researched and printed information from the department’s database on Jones after having a conversation with Inspector White. He said he also sent another officer to the Grantley Adams International Airport to search for the supervisor’s logbook, which detailed Jones’ entry into the country.

“The entry bore the caption subject Barbadian deportee. It also had the name Errol Vivian Jones and his date of birth . . .  [that he] travelled on an emergency passport and the reason he was deported
. . . had something to do with narcotics. It did not indicate whether he was escorted to Barbados,” Symmonds answered to questions posed by Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Blackman who is prosecuting the case with Senior Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney.

Following Alleyne’s testimony Jones’ lead attorney Lashley requested an adjournment in the matter. It was granted by the chief magistrate.

The extradition case continues on April 11, 2019 at 9:30 a.m.