The body of convicted murderer Neil Brown, who was killed in January’s prison break, will be buried by the State after the inquiry into the deaths of Brown and prison guard Dion Bowles has been completed, Coroner Linda Virgill said yesterday.
This has dashed the hopes of Brown’s family who wanted to giving him a “proper burial.”
Coroner Virgill told the court that she made the decision to delay Brown’s burial because she did not like the costly process of having a body exhumed.
The coroner also said that she preferred to look at Brown’s body in its present “cold and stiff state.”
“After the inquest, if there is no need to review the body, Neil Brown will be buried by the State in a graveyard designated for condemned men. There will be no exception simply because I do not wish to start a precedent,” Coroner Virgill explained to Michael Hanna, the lawyer for Brown’s mother, Bettymae Trotman.
“Family members can attend (the burial) if they wish or if the authorities allow. But there will be no exceptions.”
Mr. Hanna reminded the court yesterday that Mrs. Trotman had hoped to bury her son months ago.
“I would have thought that for whatever reason he was not interred – be it financial or otherwise – that there must be some explanation from the authorities,” Mr. Hanna said.
It was at this point that the lawyer requested that Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mark Wilson, be called to testify to give some clarity as to the whereabouts of Brown’s remains.
The attorney also insisted that Mrs. Trotman be called to the stand to testify that she had done all she could to ensure that her son’s remains were buried.
Siding with the prosecutor, Neil Braithwaite, Coroner Virgill insisted there was no need for Mr. Wilson to appear before the court. She said clarification should come from Prison Superintendent Dr. Elliston Rahming, who testified last week.
But during his testimony, Dr. Rahming told the court that he did not know where Brown’s body was.
“My understanding is that he had died and was in the morgue,” the Prison Superintendent said during his testimony.
But according to the coroner, “the Superintendent ought to know where the body of the prisoner is.”
She said it was inexcusable for Dr. Rahming to say he did not know.
The prosecution on Tuesday also recalled two witnesses to the stand – Prison ASP James Farrington and Officer Sancto Kelly, who was on Monday advised to return with counsel.
When questioned, ASP Farrington again insisted that all three of the prisoners – Brown, Barry Parcoi and Forrester Bowe – walked onto the prison bus once they were recaptured in the Yamacraw Road area.
The witness told the court that at the time, Brown appeared to have suffered no injuries and that Bowe was walking with a limp.
Jurors again heard how ASP Farrington did his best to stop officers from attacking the prisoners once they learnt that Corporal Bowles had been killed.
The witness again recapped how Officer Sandy Mackey practically pushed him down off the bus, made his way towards the rear of the vehicle where the inmates were seated and fired a shot.
It was at this point in this testimony that ASP Farrington agreed with the coroner’s suggestion that no one wanted to help him in safely returning the inmates to the prison and that he had saved the prisoners’ lives.
“That’s a night I’m really trying to forget. I lecture these prison officers. There are times inmates are going to say things but you can only report them-I told them that you can’t walk with your feelings on your shoulders because someone would knock it off,” he told the court.
“I couldn’t understand why they acted the way they did. We are trained people. But no one would listen to me. No one raised a finger to assist me.”
ASP Farrington also admitted to the court that while it is the procedure to report a junior officer who points a weapon at his superior – Officer Manuel Jacques reportedly did this to the witness on the morning of the prison break – a report of the incident was never made.
“After awhile I said with all that was going on, it was a trivial matter,” the witness said. “-We are only prison officers. We are not judge, jury or executioner. When we show our warrant we are expected to keep persons in safe custody at all times-.If you can’t do your job it’s time to get out.”
Coroner Virgill appeared to make a little progress in her attempt to pull key information from Officer Santo, who appeared without counsel.
Officer Kelly was responsible for transferring the escapees back to Her Majesty’s Prison once they were recaptured.
Consistent with his testimony on Monday, Officer Kelly insisted he could not recall many details, like whether he heard gunshots at any point during the escape, who gave him instructions to transport the inmates back to the prison and whether Officer Mackey was on the bus as testified by several witnesses.
The witness was advised that he is subject to a further recall.
The inquest continues today at 10am, when the court is expected to hear testimony on the surveillance cameras used on the morning of the prison break.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
