Soldier, on 12 drug charges, faces court martial

by Emmanuel Joseph

A former Barbados Coast Guard private is facing a military court here on 12 charges stemming from an alleged drug find in the north of the island two years ago.

Today, Shane Coulthrust, a member of the Barbados Regiment, appeared before a Barbados Defence Force Ordinary Court Martial at the Hodgson Hall Conference Room, St Ann’s Fort, the Garrison, St Michael to answer the charges.

Coulthrust, whose case is being heard by a four-member panel of senior military officers headed by Lieutenant Commander Fernella Cordle, is accused of collecting 14 polythene packages while he was in charge of the Barbados Coast Guard vessel Endurance and placing them on the boat on April 19, 2019 without lawful authorisation.

He is also charged with transporting the packages to Six Men’s, St Peter and transferring them to a fishing boat that was moored in the area.

The private is also accused of linking up with a speed boat in Barbados’ territorial waters without permission; paying another Coast Guard crewman Ordinary Seaman Jamal Simmons on April 30, 2019 some $2,200 not to report the transportation of the packages onboard the Endurance from the speed boat to the fishing vessel at Six Men’s the day before.

Coulthrust is also being asked to answer an allegation that on April 16, 2019 while he was at Upper Weston, St James he received some $5,000 from one alias Bones as an inducement to use the Coast Guard vessel Endurance to collect and transport the packages to the fishing boat anchored at Six Men’s.

Another charge is that while he was in Bridgetown on April 24, 2019, he received $5,000 from one Corey Watts as final payment for the use of the Coast Guard boat and transporting the packages to the fishing vessel.

The court-martial also heard that Coulthrust paid crewman Omar Gollop $2,500 as “hush money” while they were at HMBS Pelican Coast Guard headquarters on April 30, 2019. It is alleged that the money was an inducement for Gollop not to report the offences now before the military tribunal.

He is facing a similar charge related to an estimated $2,200 paid to colleague Omar Webb on the same date and place.

The private is also accused of falsifying his patrol report, going off course without authorization and using his personal cell phone while on duty on April 19, 2019, in contravention of the Coast Guard’s Standing Orders.

Five witnesses testified yesterday including Chief Petty Officer Arlington Cadogan, the BCG chief engineer and technician who gave evidence to support the installation of a tracking device on the Endurance and Sub Lieutenant Alexander Kellman, the BCG executive officer of the HMBS Trident, whose testimony backed the statement of the accused and preliminary investigations.

The hearing resumes Tuesday at 9 a.m.

The accused is being represented by Andrew Pilgrim, Q.C. while the prosecution is led by Captain Neville Corbin.

(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)