Brandon Swann death case opens in the Coroner’s Court

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

#TurksandCaicos, May 11, 2024 – A string of significant cases are making appearances regularly at the Turks and Caicos CORONER’S Court based in Providenciales.  In all of the matters, each has to go through a number of legal steps and procedures before a final decision can be made by a jury or the coroner herself.

Making the list for two-fold proceedings on Thursday, May 2, 2024, was the case concerning the death of BRANDON JUWAN CRISTOVAL SWANN and person of interest linked to the death, RONALD SAUNDERS.

A case which grabbed national headlines; Swann is the younger brother of the Deputy Governor.   According to CORONER’S Court records, he died at age 28 on the night of October 22, 2021.

The police/ traffic officer who investigated the case at the time told the Coroner when she asked if the traffic and police investigation into the death of Brandon Swann is officially completed and closed, he said “yes, from their prospective.”

The Coroner said, “ok, well, this is where I step in, and an investigation or an inquest is held.”

Having heard limited or partial sworn evidence in open court from the investigator and reviewing certain documentary evidence and statements, the Hon Coroner officially opened a full investigative inquest to determine exactly how Brandon Swann met his death.

The investigator told the court that Swann came or ran down the stairs of the bar on Leeward Highway immediately next to Grant’s Gas station and held on to the vehicle of RONALD SAUNDERS.  It is suspected that Swann lost his balance, fell and was run over by the vehicle driven by Saunders.

The autopsy report said, he died due to multiple blunt trauma injuries.

A jury will be summoned and called to hear the circumstances surrounding the death, review statements, and documentary evidence, including the autopsy report from the Pathologist who performed the autopsy on young Swann.

The Swann family was not present in court, but they’ve hired senior criminal defense counsel Mrs Lara Maroof Misick and the sole person of interest in this inquest proceedings is Mr. Ronald Saunders, who was also not present.

Saunders is however, represented by Mr. Oliver Smith KC and assisted by Mrs Kimone Tennant.

At the conclusion of the inquest, the jury could be left with certain options to consider, and if Ronald Saunders is found culpable in the death of Brandon Swann, he could possibly be arrested and charged with manslaughter.  Saunders could also be cleared, altogether.