No bail for accused in alleged Port incident

A well digger who is accused of wantonly entering the premises of the Barbados Port Inc last month is now on remand at Dodds.
When David Oneal Willoughby, Fairy Valley, Christ Church appeared before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes he pleaded not guilty to the August 24 charge. Weekes expressed “grave concern” and denied the accused bail in the matter.

Willoughby also pleaded not guilty to having in his possession a ratchet, a wire cutter, ten sockets and an extension bar for use in connection with theft when he was not at his place of abode.

“This is a very serious one here. This one which relates to the Port and the alleged implements he had.

“I have some grave concerns and given these concerns at this time I shall not give him his pretrial liberty,” Chief Magistrate Weekes ruled.

Willoughby had also told the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ he did not have cannabis in his possession. He also denied the possession with intent to supply and trafficking charge and that he knowingly handled the cannabis which was intended by him or some other person to supply.

Sergeant Victoria Taitt objected to Willoughby’s bail on the grounds that he was known to the court and currently on bail.

The prosecutor pointed to the serious nature of the offences and the 20.40 kilogrammes of cannabis found.

“We are also objecting based on the strength of the evidence. There is video footage.
Investigations are still ongoing and if granted bail he could interfere with the investigations”, she said.

In her application for bail on behalf of the accused, attorney-at-law Shadia Simpson argued that neither she nor her client had seen any of the video footage and he had been in custody for over a week..

“He wasn’t shown any footage. I wasn’t shown any. My client was not found in possession of anything. My instructions are that these items were found some distance . . .” she said, adding that while her client was known to the court, his antecedents were of “some vintage”.

She also urged the Chief Magistrate to grant Willoughby bail as he was a small business owner and employed up to 15 people at any given time.

“He is the main breadwinner for his family. For him to be incarcerated at this time will undoubtedly put severe hardship on his business. These are bailable offences and he is willing to comply with any bail condition,” Simpson submitted.

The application was denied.