Crime
Bail Granted to American Tourist without hassle; facing 12 Years for four bullets in luggage
Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Correspondent
#TurksandCaicos, April 25, 2024 – He was busted at the Howard Hamilton Providenciales International Airport on Friday, April 16, 2024.
He allegedly had in his luggage four (4) rounds of 6.5mm ammunition on his departure to his homeland in Oklahoma in the United States of America (USA).
Ryan Watson and his wife were arrested and placed into police lock up. Both were later granted police bail, and upon return to police station the Monday after the couple’s arrest, the husband alone was charged by detective Police Constable Kimberlee Markland for
unlawful possession of the four rounds of ammunition.
Watson was escorted to court on Tuesday, April 23rd, placed before the learned Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin and remanded to His Majesty’s Prison until his sufficiency hearing on June 7, this (2024) year.
His counsel, Mr. Oliver Smith KC and his junior assistant Mrs. Kimone Tennant immediately sought bail for him in the Supreme Court which was heard the following day (Wednesday April 24) before her Ladyship Ms. Tanya Lobban-Jackson and was granted bail, without hassle in the amount or $15,000.00 cash or surety.
The Crown, in the person of senior public prosecutor Ms. Tassja Mitchell did not oppose bail.
Magnetic Media can report that once again on the afternoon of the Tuesday April 24th, after the accused RYAN TYLER WATSON, 41 was remanded by the Magistrate’s court, the U.S. Embassy issued an warning to it’s citizens and travelers to carefully check their bags when traveling to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) as TCI authorities are strictly enforcing firearm and ammunition laws and if found you could go to prison for 12 years.
A real question of great concern and public importance is: should the TCI courts sentence tourists to the full mandatory minimum of 12 years imprisonment for simple possession firearm and/or ammunition.
The succinct answer is: Yes!
The Court of Appeal, just last month said in its written judgment that “ALL PERSONS,” including tourist/visitors must go to prison if found guilty or pleas guilty to firearm and ammunition offences.
However, there remains the concern about how much time in prison a judge should give a visitor regardless of the existence of exceptional circumstances.
Should the judge imprison a visitor to the territory, who may have been wrongly informed, for example, the full mandatory minimum term or must a reduced prison term be imposed.
If TCI judges start to give less than the mandatory minimum to tourists/visitors, it is being strong and widely advocated by senior defense attorneys that the same must apply to local or residents of these Islands, who may also present exceptional circumstances.
Arguments about the equity in delivery of justice is what drove the question to the Court of Appeal late in 2023. The decision came this past February.
‘We cannot find ourselves sentencing tourists regardless of exceptional circumstances to lesser sentences, and when those same exceptional circumstances are found in local cases, it’s being ignored by our judges.’
Human Rights Attorney, Sheena Mair has on more than one occasion argued this point; including in firearm and ammunition bail applications. She would put the very same judges and prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution on the spot by reminding the judges and the prosecutors that precedent has been set.
‘You’ve just granted bail to a tourist for firearm and ammunition but now here’s a local person, same charge but because he’s a local he can’t get bail? He has to be remanded pending a trial that could take years before it’s heard?’
Mair has valiantly outlined the wrong in this and clearly stated this practice is “not fair” and it’s “not proper administration of justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Ms. Mair further complained that tourists would plea guilty to possession of firearm and ammunition and be released on bail pending sentencing but as for a local, he or she has to wait on remand at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending sentencing.
The attorney criticizes the optics of such decisions and is on record reminding the Judge that the Court of Appeal has already set out
that the law applies to everyone; visitors and locals alike.
A police statement issued Wednesday April 24 informs: “Today (April 24th), Mr. Watson appeared in the Supreme Court and, following a bail application, was granted $15,000 bail with the following conditions:
1) Not travel out of TCI without the court’s permission.
2) Surrender his passport and all other travel documents to the court
3) Report to Grace Bay Police Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 am-4 pm,
4) Reside at the given address in Providenciales; any address change will be provided before the court.”
The American from Oklahoma whose story is trending in the US and has been carried by leading news networks was joined by a host of loved ones at the Courthouse.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – In response to a deadly surge in gun violence, Police Commissioner Fitz Bailey on
Monday morning formally briefed the Honourable Premier Charles Washington Misick and Her Excellency Acting Governor Anya Williams on two recent murders and the broader security crisis engulfing the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The high-level debrief followed a harrowing week which reports indicate brought the murder count for 2025 to 15 people, including what was described as mass shooting where as many as four men were struck with bullets. The Commissioner provided an update on the nature of the week of homicides, the current status of investigations, and the coordinated response measures being implemented by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF).
Both the Premier and Acting Governor pledged full support to the Commissioner and the RTCIPF, as the country grapples with a level of violence that has deeply shaken residents and visitors alike.
“The Government remains deeply committed to strengthening public safety and enhancing the resources available to law enforcement,” read a statement issued following the briefing.
As part of this commitment, 40 specially trained officers from across the region have recently completed orientation with the RTCIPF and
are now operational. These reinforcements are expected to support ongoing investigations and bolster the national policing strategy.
Among the recent incidents:
- A young man was shot and killed in Five Cays on Saturday (May 24) afternoon. Police reported receiving a call around 2:58 p.m. about gunfire near a local religious institution. Officers arrived to find a male victim lying motionless with apparent gunshot wounds. His death is being treated as a suspected homicide.
- One of four men shot earlier in the week in Kew Town succumbed to his injuries, raising the death toll from that mass shooting.
As investigations continue, the RTCIPF is urgently appealing to the public for any information that might assist. Witnesses or anyone with
relevant knowledge are encouraged to report to the nearest police station, dial 911, contact the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.
Commissioner Bailey, who was confirmed as the Turks and Caicos Police Commissioner in a ceremony on Friday April 25, has vowed that the RTCIPF will not relent in its pursuit of justice and community safety. Public concern has been growing as the scale and brazenness of violent incidents increase. Community leaders and residents are demanding a stronger and more visible police presence in hotspots, as well as urgent interventions to address the root causes of gun violence.
The police force has pledged to issue further updates on investigations and arrests in the coming days.
Photo Captions:
1st insert: ROBERTO YACINTHE, age 33 was shot on Saturday (May 25) in the Blue Hills community. He was an employee of the Alexandra Resort.
2nd insert: Crime scene in Five Cays
3rd insert: Flex Baptiste, 32 died on Friday. He was shot on Wednesday.
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