Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, December 10, 2023 – As one of the largest irregular settlements in the Turks and Caicos, Dock Yard is dangerous not because of the people who live there, but because of the state of the community.

“Dock Yard is the textbook example of an informal settlement it reflects everything that the United Nations has identified as a danger; the density the inability to access, utilities, the inability to dispose of waste,” Carlos Simons, Head of the Informal Settlement Unit (ISU) told media during a November 27 briefing.

It is the ISU’s mandate to fix this.

While acknowledging that there were legal residents in the settlement, Simons said that it was very likely there would be individuals found living there without status; as for what the Unit is legally required to do in these instances, the KC attorney at law explained this:

“These persons will be referred to the Immigration Department to be dealt with in accordance with immigration laws. The objective of this exercise is not to expose illegal immigrants but to regularize the settlement of communities in the TCI.”

He stressed though that the majority of people who live in Dock Yard are ‘law-abiding, church-going, loyal residents.’

“We are not approaching the Dock Yard problem without bearing that in mind.”

And Carlos Simons would know, as a former Supreme Court Justice, he was specially selected to carry out this massive mandate for the Turks and Caicos Islands, which as it stands, is the only British Overseas Territory with the problem of squatting.

Simons, in managing misconceptions about the role and work of the newly formed ISU, described the majority of residents in the Dock Yard community in Kew Town, Providenciales as law-abiding residents who work and send their children to school; these are values that the Government wants to keep, but there are significant and well-placed concerns which threaten a healthy and peaceful existence in the area. Most of the country’s murders for the past two years have happened in Kew Town and Dock Yard has been at the center of it all.

“The threats of criminals hiding amongst them, the threat of an outbreak of disease, difficulties, disposing, waste, and so forth. The congestion does not allow for emergency services access. It’s just unsafe,” the ISU Head stressed.

The removal of illegal structures in the settlement has been paused; the original removal was set for December 8.  However, according to a notice from the ISU on November 21st, any demolition will now take place beginning on January 8, 2024.

#TurksandCaicos, December 10, 2023 – He carried over 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition in a loaded black hand gun at a small business establishment located on Bible Street, Blue Hills (aka behind Mara), Providenciales, with intent to carry out a robbery of the store.

JOSIAH PARFAIT, 20, of Dock Yard, Providenciales was stopped in an attempt to rob on Saturday 25th November, 2023 by regular civilians/persons, who took his gun, after he allegedly fired shots and they held him until the Police arrived.

Parfait appeared before the Hon Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin unrepresented on Tuesday December 5th, 2023, for the charges to be read to him.  His matter was transferred to the Supreme Court for a Sufficiency Hearing on Friday February 2nd, 2024.

Parfait was remanded until that date to His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) in Grand Turk.

He’s charged with the following offences:- Count #1:- Possession of firearm; Count #2:- Possession of Ammunition; Count #3:- Discharging firearm; Count #4:- Assault with intent to rob and Count #5:- Discharging Ammunition.

In a police report published on November 28th, 2023, head of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection Unit Superintendent Dean Holden said: “It is now known that the suspect was detained at the scene by three persons who acted incredibly brave in the face of such a severe threat. Though their actions are commendable, he warned that, the RTCIPF wishes to advise that persons should not put themselves at risk but instead call 911 or the closest police station.”

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Reporter

#TurksandCaicos, December 10, 2023 – Three young men, according to police investigation, who are allegedly involved in the Dock Yard/Kew Town gang in both joined and separate matters were adjourned to early 2024. All three men were ordered to remain at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) without bail.

The most recent of the three charged and remanded to the DCR was 20-year-old American Turks Islander, REGINALD TALBOT,JR, who had just arrived in the TCI on the day in question.

He was taken to the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday  November 5th, 2023, arraigned before the Hon Chief Magistrate(CM) Mr. Jolyon Hatmin on charges of Gang membership or being a gang member and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit a serious offense.

The learned CM told the accused REGINALD TALBOT, who was represented by two attorneys; Oliver Smith, KC and his junior assistant, Kimone Tennant, that he (the CM) can only read the charges to him at this stage and the matter was transferred to the Supreme Court.

This he did, and the accused was remanded until February 2nd 2024 for a Sufficiency Hearing.

His attorney immediately filed a civil bail application in the Supreme Court, and the bail hearing was heard on Thursday, December 7th 2023.

The allegations against TALBOT are that on August 2nd 2023 (this being the date an alleged gang boss/leader Guilene “GB” Jean Baptiste was killed in Grace Bay), TALBOT was reportedly seen by a police drone with what appeared to be a short gun in his right hand, alongside other masked gang members with what appeared to be much larger and longer heavy duty rifles in their hands.  The drone surveillance allegedly picked up images of the group while they were in Dock Yard, Providenciales, said to have been caught on camera shooting at the police and their armored truck.

Talbot is not charged with discharging firearm or ammunition because the police could not ascertain who fired the shots at them, however, they did state, according to Principal Public Prosecutor Clement Joseph that police returned fire, had to retreat and they were outnumbered by what could only be a gang.

Senior Defense attorney Oliver Smith, KC, when putting forward his submission to the Hon lady Justice Tanya Lobban-Jackson in seeking bail for his client, said that this “anti-gang ordinance” was poorly drafted.

KC Smith told the court, “the charges against his client were flimsy, paper-thin, without substance and has no teeth.”

He challenged the continued detention of his client constitutionally, stating his client has a right to bail and this court must not take it lightly. He said his client may be a USA citizen indeed, but he’s no less of a Turks Islander as he has a TCI passport as well. He has dual citizenship, and they’re willing to surrender both passports for bail. He told her Ladyship that the young man lives here with his parents at an address known to Police.

Making a case that Talbot was not a flight risk.

Mr. Smith KC challenged the prosecution’s submission to the court that because an alleged other gang member WOODY VINCENT JEAN BAPTISTE was refused bail by this court for the same allegations on the same date and time, his client must receive the same fate.

Oliver Smith said, Clement Joseph wants the court to apply “a one size fit all” view to this application, but he submitted there are case laws to support the possibility of variations in bail decisions.

The judge, having heard both sides for just over two hours, ruled against the applicant and denied the bail application.  Talbot is now remanded until his Sufficiency Hearing in February.

The lady justice, in her reasons for refusal said that she relied heavily on the affidavit evidence on Police Sgt. Kevin Mars as it outlined that the clothing seen from footage taken by the drone worn by the defendant in Dock Yard on the date of the incident on August 2^nd, 2023, as compelling.

The judge explained that the very same ripped jeans pants, the very unique multi-color sneakers/tennis and the very same hoody with “Class of 21” was found in his room when Police conducted a search at his residence.  These were items worn by the male picked up in the drone footage.

Talbot was arrested last month (late November 2023).

Magnetic Media has confirmed that this is exactly the same type of evidence the police and prosecution are relying on in the case against Woody Vincent Jean Baptiste where clothing seen on cameras and by officers at the murder scene of his brother Guilene “GB” Jean Baptiste in Grace Bay, were also identified in the drone video of the group of men captured on footage on August 2, in a shootout with Police in Dock Yard.

According to police, Baptiste was also picked up on the drone in Dock Yard later that same day, along with Reginald Talbot and other so called, “gang members.”

In Baptiste’s case, Police also report they found the pants in a search at his home, that matched the Grace Bay camera videos and the very same pants he was still wearing at the shoot-out with the police in Dock Yard, that very day.

WOODY VINCENT JEAN BAPTISTE was last in court in this gang matter at his Sufficiency Hearing on Friday December 1st, 2023, before her Ladyship the Hon Chief Justice Mable Agyemang and he was committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court. His remand continues to January 26th, 2024 for a plea and directions hearing (PDH).

As for the third alleged gang member CYDEREO SMITH his Sufficiency Hearing was originally set for December 5, 2023. Smith’s arrest and charges are linked to a February 5 shooting at the underground parking lot of the Regent Grand Village in Grace Bay.  That sufficiency hearing is now adjourned to January 5.