While making routine checks of the court building around 1:45am on Saturday 31st July, 2010 officers of the Nassau Street Police Station discovered the front entrance glass to the Nassau Street Court damaged. On further examination officers discovered the security bars to Court #9 cut, the windows pried open and the screen removed. The culprits broke and entered the court ransacking the Magistrate’s office. It is believed the culprits attempted to remove a safe from the court, however they were unsuccessful. Police do not have a suspect in custody in relation to this matter, however investigations continue.
Police did not say which magistrate used the Nassau Street Court office.
The incident follows last week’s break-in at the office of Supreme Court Senior Justice Jon Isaacs which occurred early Wednesday morning. Personal items were taken from his chambers and scrawled in blue ink on an entry door to the judge’s chambers was the phrase “The PLP must win the next election. All FNM must die”, along with the drawing of a gun.
Despite the similarity in the crimes and the short span of time between them, Superintendent Leon Bethel, head of the police’s Central Detective Unit, said the two incidents are not being linked at this time.
“Right now, we have no evidence that there’s a link. We’re not going to link up something we have no reason to,” said Supt Bethel.
The Progressive Liberal Party, whose supporters appear to have perpetrated the earlier break-in, issued a statement suggesting that surveillance cameras be “immediately installed at all courts and foot patrols must be immediately initiated.”
The party also called for the Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest and Attorney General John Delaney to be “fired.”
Mr Delaney laughed off the suggestion.
Erroneously blaming the increase in crime on Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest, the party said: “murders are at a record level. It is not safe to go to the bank, and criminals have desecrated the seat of justice, the Supreme Court.
“This week, more people were added to the record number of murders. There was a break in at the Supreme Court, located a stone’s throw from the Central Police Station, there was a break in at the Nassau Street Magistrate’s Court, located on the border of the South Street Police Station, and there was an armed robbery, in broad daylight, using a machine gun, down the road from the Cable Beach Police Station.
“Bahamians have not forgotten that the there was a robbery at the Passport Office, across the street from the Police College and down the road from CID. Nor have Bahamians forgotten that a Judge’s home has been broken into and another Judge has been attacked in broad daylight.
“The Bahamas is in crisis,”, said the PLP statement.
