Surety released; no new bailor found

A 36-year-old man who was unable to get someone to sign his bail after the court relieved his previous surety of the duty has been remanded at Dodds until Friday.

Kirk Douglas Francis, who was listed on his charge sheet as having no fixed place of abode, will return before Magistrate Douglas Frederick on June 29 for another chance at bail.

Francis is facing a charge that between August 11 and 12, 2019 he entered the house of his brother Corey Francis and stole three colognes worth $2,100; a pair of spectacles worth $1,950; a cellular phone worth $380 and four bottles of wine costing $160.

He had been on $4,000 bail. However, his surety recently appeared in court and told the magistrate that he had not seen Francis since he signed bail on his behalf. The surety was informed that he would have to forfeit the bail sum unless he could get the accused to court.

When Francis appeared today he explained that it was a “simple mistake with the dates” and had contacted the surety to say that.

However, the court requested that the surety be present. When he arrived the magistrate informed him that being a surety was “a serious undertaking”. He was not made to forfeit the $4,000 bail sum but was told that he had neglected his responsibility and would be relieved of it.

Several phone calls were made on Francis’ behalf to get someone to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court to sign his bail but those efforts proved futile.