One of the four prison inmates who mounted a deadly escape from Her Majesty’s Prison in January had keys to the cellblock from which the prisoners escaped, the Coroner’s Court heard yesterday.
Convicted murderer Neil Brown, who was killed during the break from the Fox Hill facility, was found with keys to a corridor joining cellblocks 8 through 15 to blocks 16 to 24, according to testimony from Corporal Dennis Johnson.
The keys were found in Brown’s back pocket, the prison guard told the Court.
Corporal Johnson said that the prison officer making the rounds would have had the keys that were found on Brown.
According to the testimony, inmates Brown, Barry Parcoi, Forrester Bowe Jr. and Corey Hepburn, the four inmates involved in the escape plot, were housed in the same block of cells.
Brown reportedly occupied cell 11, Barry Parcoi, cell 12; Forrester Bowe, cell 13 and Hepburn, cell 16.
The C block mainly houses condemned men or inmates awaiting extradition, according to prison officials.
The jury was told that in the case of condemned men, there is only one inmate per cell and that prisoners are typically placed in the cells for the evening at around 6 o’clock.
Corporal Johnson was one of several officers, including slain prison guard Dion Bowles, who was working in the Maximum Security’s west wing at the time the prisoners mounted their escape plot during the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 17.
He was reportedly responsible for ensuring that there was no “irregular” behaviour in the cells.
According to the witness, he last saw Corporal Bowles alive about half an hour before the prison’s sirens went off.
Corporal Johnson said he was later told that the escapees were on the roof and soon heard noise coming from the Yamacraw Road area.
He told the Court that he then armed himself with a weapon and left the Maximum Security section through the front gate.
The officer said that while the lighting was not the best, all of the inmates that he saw – Brown, Bowe and Parcoi – were alive and appeared to be in good health.
However, he admitted that Bowe appeared to have “a little” blood on his face and that a homemade dagger was taken from Parcoi.
According to Corporal Johnson’s testimony, Parcoi said he would reveal everything, claiming that he got the hacksaw from Hepburn, who was on the loose for more than two weeks before being recaptured in Coral Harbour.
On Monday, Detective Constable Lavardo Sherman testified that several pieces of contraband were found either on or near the escapees, including cellular telephones and an assortment of razors and blades.
Constable Sherman also testified that prison cells eight through fifteen in the Maximum Security section had what appeared to be damage to the bars.
He said there were also small openings to the doors of cells 16 and 24.
Coroner Linda Virgill is hearing the case. Director of Public Prosecutions Bernard Turner and Deputy Director of Prosecutions Cheryl Grant-Bethel are appearing for the Crown.
Testimony is scheduled to continue today at 10am.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
