TCI Court

Suzie Turn checkpoint Arrests full of twists and turns

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Correspondent

#TurksandCaicos, April 20, 2024 – ERROL DALLAVANTY WILLIAMS aka Rooster, a Jamaican living in Five Cays; DAVIAN CLARINCE ROYE, a Jamaican living on Back Road, Blue Hills and a local female AYANNA ASTWOOD of Five Cays, were all the occupants of a small car that was driven by Astwood attempting to drive through the police security check point at SUZIE TURN ROUNDABOUT, on the night of Friday April 5, 2024 when they raised suspicions.

Royal TCI Police say in looking at all three in the vehicle and after closer observation of accused DAVIAN CLARINCE ROYE, “his eyes were blood red” and this is when they decided to conduct a stop and search of the vehicle and the occupants.

Around a quarter pound of weed was found in the vehicle and all three occupants were jointly charged with possession of controlled drugs, namely the cannabis found in the vehicle.

They were all arrested and taken into custody.

Reportedly, an additional very small quantity of suspected cannabis was found on the lone female AYANNA ASTWOOD when her person was searched by a female police officer, later, at the Chalk Sound Police Station. She was charged with that small quantity of marijuana and accepted responsibility by pleading guilty to that charge and not guilty to the weed found in the vehicle.

ERROL DALLAVANTY WILLIAMS pleaded not guilty to the suspected marijuana found in the vehicle, and he pleaded not guilty to the immigration offense of remaining in the islands beyond the permitted time.

DAVIAN CLARINCE ROYE on Thursday April 11, 2024 pleaded guilty to the drug found in the vehicle, taking all the responsibility for all the drugs in the vehicle, and he pleaded guilty to being in the islands illegally and unlawfully.

On Wednesday April 10th, ROYE was first brought before the court under the proceeds of crime Ordinance.

He was found with $950.00 dollars cash on him. Asked, how he got the money by financial crime unit Inspector Paulin Nemours, he said he was fishing as he lived here illegal for some three years.

The then acting DPP Mrs. Angela Brooks told the Chief Magistrate that her office was unable to prove the money was from the sale of drugs, though admission that funds were derived from fishing still makes it illegally obtained because ROYE has no status in the Islands and no fishing licence.

The court after hearing from ROYE’s attorney Mr. Ashwood Forbes did order the Crown’s forfeiture application and the $950.00 was confiscated for the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The prosecution, Ms. Richardson applied to the Hon. Chief Magistrate Mr Jolyon Hatmin to have both Jamaicans remanded to custody pending the conclusion of the case, but female defense attorney Mrs. Leanna Brooks Campbell got up after hearing the Crown’s application for remand submissions and told the court there’s no need to remand Rooster because he’s now married to Mrs. AYANNA ASTWOOD, so he’s not here illegally, and he can not be deported.

She admitted they’re still waiting on certain documentation, but they are a married couple and bail should not be refused.

She also reminded the court that ‘Rooster’ was on bail in another immigration case of unlawful entry months ago, and he has continued to make his court dates.

The learned Chief Magistrate was reminded that, that case only came to end on March 5th, this year.

WILLIAMS was granted $7500.00 baill and the other defendant, DAVIAN CLARINCE ROYE was remanded pending sentencing for the drugs in the vehicle and the unlawful entry charge.

AYANNA ASTWOOD was granted bail in the sum of $2000.00 and all three have to return to court next Friday April 19th, 2024.

The Crown will advise if they intend to withdraw the charges in connection to the illicit drugs found in the vehicle against Rooster Williams and his wife or proceed to a trial against the couple despite ROYE’S guilty plea in an attempt to accept full responsibility for the serious offense.

TCI Court

Father & Son appear at PDH; one going to Trial, the other had no lawyer

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

Father and son facing criminal charges at a Thursday April 25th, Plea and Directions Hearing (PDH); both CHUNCO SEYMOUR (father) and SHAKEME SEYMOUR (son) were in the same courtroom, but their matters were called separately.

In a stunning turn of even, CHUNCO JESTAN SEYMOUR appeared at court in person, thought clearly still suffering from injuries sustained in a traffic accident. He had been attending doctor in the Dominican Republic at the time he was listed as a suspect in a high profile police investigation into alleged gun running.

Despite obvious physical discomfort, Seymour showed up and was extended some non-customary courtesies by the Court.

His attorney, Mrs Latisha Williams-Bruce, asked his Lordship, The Hon. Mr Justice Chris Selochan, if her client could remain seated upon his arraignment as he still suffering from the injuries as indicated in his bail application to the court. The judge asked if he couldn’t stand for the charges to be put to him and defense.

“My lord, we would prefer if he could remain seated.”

The judge acquiesced to the request and a seated SEYMOUR had read off, two charges of constituting to supply a firearm and conspiracy to supply ammunition, to which the elder Seymour plead, not guilty to both.

It is alleged that CHUNCO SEYMOUR acting together with RYAN SMITH, JUMILLO ISMA and others conspired to supply a firearm and ammunition between May 3, 2022 and May 31, 2022.

CHUNCO trial date was fixed to commence on December 2nd this year.

As for his son, SHAKEME SEYMOUR, who has been presently on remand since 2020 in a separate matter, a North Caicos shooting matter, he was not arraigned on these new conspiracy charges because his lawyer Mr. Finbar Grant was not present for the proceedings.

No explanation was provided for the ‘no show’ at court, however one was soon obtained by the Clerk, who managed to reach Grant via phone. Grant confirmed that he would not be in court and that he was not able to see, speak or take instruction from his client as yet in the matter.

The judge explained to SHAKEME SEYMOUR that his matter would be adjourned to the next PDH sitting on May 31st.

The judge did say the charges faced by young Shakeme Seymour “are very old matters from 2022, and they should be dealt with as a priority.”

The younger Seymour remains on remand at His Majesty’s Prison.

TCI Court

Five more alleged Traffic Violators go to Court

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

TRAFFIC PROCEEDINGS, LISTED BEFORE HIS HONOR THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE JOLYON HATMIN ON THURSDAY 25TH APRIL 2024

(1) CARMEL D HANDFIELD is in Court for permitting the use of an Uninsured Vehicle. This individual was to be arraigned.

(2) JACQUELINE DEUS is in Court for Unlicensed Motor Vehicle & Improper Identification, this matter was listed for mention.

(3) Creole speaking SAMUEL VILSAINT is in Court for Unlicensed Motor Vehicle & Improper identification. The matter was to be arraigned last Thursday with a Creole interpreter.

(4) A Creole interpreter would have been needed for FRIDLER JOSEPH as he was in Court for Driving without due care & attention, Using motor vehicle without insurance & Failing to display L on the vehicle as a learner’s permit holder.

(5) VERNARD HANDFIELD is in Court for Unlicensed Driving, Using motor vehicle without insurance & Driving without due care & attention.

TCI Court

Eight Months facing Police Accusations and Court, now Pedro Grant Exonerated

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

With no evidence to support their claim, the prosecution has dropped their case against Pedro Jose Alfredo Grant Gallon, the Dominican Republic citizen who was accused of impersonating an officer in September 2023.

The Police, who publicized the arrest and charge, have not yet commented on the matter despite Magnetic Media queries.

Grant, for his part, has always vehemently denied the accusations that he was impersonating an officer and described the circumstances surrounding his arrest as unfair.

He contends that on the evening of July 13, 2023, he was being followed by a strange driver, concerned, he waited until the man pulled off at a bar, then took his license plate number and called the police, but police never came to help Grant. He alleges that the next time he saw them, they came with handcuffs to arrest him. In a search, police found his IDs which included his documentation for humanitarian work with the International Diplomatic Alliance (IDA) and police lights attached to his vehicle. In explaining the possession of those lights, Grant said he told officers that they had been in his car from his time in the Dominican Republic where he was involved in law enforcement.

Since that time, Grant has maintained several facts:

The Police did not have a warrant to search his home and car;
The Police took his documents including passports and IDs, one of which was issued by the IDA, and to date have not returned them despite being court-ordered to do so;
The Police intimidated his wife with threats of deportation;
He never showed any ID, flashing lights at the man following him, or claimed to be an officer.

Police have steadfastly refused to comment on the case despite numerous queries into the bizarre circumstances, even with serious allegations like intimidation against them. Grant was officially charged with Impersonating an Officer in September but IDA Head Jerrod Crockett told Magnetic Media despite seizing documents from Grant to support their case, no one even called the organization to see if they were real or fake.

Now, when called to provide evidence to the court as to why they arrested and charged the resident, the police and DPPs office drew a complete blank as Wilkie Arthur, Magnetic Media Court Correspondent, confirmed it was a lack of evidence that got the case dropped.

Despite this win serious damage has been done Grant claims, describing his life as a ‘living hell’ and ‘miserable’ since the accusations were publicized.

The IDA says it has been affected as well.

“That really put a hurt on us for the last six to eight months now because of accusations of fraudulent documents that everybody else has seen. We’re trying to prove our legitimacy now because you guys can’t verify any documents— before you put everything out there as public information,” Crockett said of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF)

The president also told our news team they had lost thousands of dollars in funding.

Following the closure of the case we reached out again to police to find out on what grounds Grant had been arrested and charged but no response was issued.