Governor called to look into death of convicted murderer, Alvin Standford

LONDON – JANUARY 10: Amnesty Internation supporters dressed in orange boiler suits hold a night long vigil in a cage outside of the US embassy on January 10, 2008 in London, England. Amnesty International marks the six-year anniversary of the first prisoners being transported to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The human rights organisation installs its ‘Guantanamo Cell’ built to the exact dimensions of a cell at Guantanamo. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

In a letter to the Governor His Excellency Peter Beckingham, Courtney Barnett of Barnett and Associates charges that his client did not receive the proper medical care during his time in prison and is asking the Governor to look into the matter.

Stanford, originally from Jamaica, was found dead in his cell on Friday morning, prison source say he died from natural causes, some say Stanford’s death was due to negligence; he was serving time for the murder of his wife on December 1st 2008. Bartnett says he “languished in prison for over five years before being brought to trial” and even after being deemed unfit for trial by a psychiatrist, and laws about his confinement, Stanford was still placed in Her Majesty’s prison.

Barnett says Stanford “should have been sent to a hospital for his care, custody and proper treatment as the prison over the years did little more than worsen his already chronic condition…now he is dead”

Section 51 part (1) of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance says “the court shall order him to be conveyed to any hospital or other place for the time being appointed under any law to be a public lunatic asylum or for the reception of criminal lunatics, there to be kept in safe custody until discharged by order of the Governor.”

Barnett believed officials were in breach of the law when Standford was allegedly not taken to special care facility and is calling on Governor Beckingham to look into the matter in his open letter.