Inquiry ‘pending’ after ‘Bounty’ crawls into Magistrates’

High-profile murder accused Nigel ‘Bounty’ Pinder was seen dragging himself from a prison van into the Oistins Magistrates’ Court last week, triggering an internal probe by the prison service amid questions about prisoner care and transport, Barbados TODAY can reveal.

Prison Superintendent DeCarlo Payne said he is awaiting a comprehensive report detailing the circumstances that led to the prisoner dragging himself along the ground to enter a magistrates’ court.

He told Barbados TODAY: “The matter has been drawn to my attention officially by the Ministry and a report requested. That report has since been directed to be submitted to the office of the Superintendent by all the parties involved, and I am awaiting the submission of that comprehensive report,” 

He declined any further comment on the incident until the report was completed.

“If I comment before, it would be premature and may not be based on fact,” he said.

Speaking briefly on the protocols that are implemented for incapacitated inmates, Superintendent Payne said: “Under normal circumstances, we do not transport incapacitated prisoners to court that I am aware of in recent times.

“What I will say to you is if there’s a situation that develops, where an individual is wheelchair-bound, we will make all the necessary arrangements to have that person brought before the court.”

Last week at the Oistins Magistrates’ Court, Pinder was recorded crawling out of the prison van and dragging himself into the court.

His attorney, Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens, said Pinder had been involved in an accident earlier this month while on his way to court from prison and had been confined to a wheelchair by a doctor.

She said: “I heard this commotion outside, but I paid no attention to it because things happen outside the court from time to time and I realised that he was sitting on his bottom on the ground in the actual dock and he indicated that they brought him down without a wheelchair and refused to help him into the court…I spoke in the court and said that it wasn’t good enough and that people cannot be treated like that regardless of the situation.”

Mitchell-Gittens said she had sent letters to Superintendent Payne and Minister of Home Affairs Gregory Nicholls demanding answers. But Payne said on Thursday he had not yet received one.

(JB)