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.

For the week of Monday, April 22nd – Friday, April 26th, 2024

Matters for Monday April 22, 2024

(1) Her Honor will have further hearing in police involved shooting case of LAVERN SMITH

(2) BABY GIRL FRITZ. Type of Matter: Child Death Hearing is listed for an Inquest

(3) AUDLEY DORIC QUANT is listed for an Inquest.

(4) HOWARD KANE

Type of Matter: Drowning Incident Hearing is listed for Decision.

Matters for Tuesday April 23, 2024

(5) A 2022 motor vehicle incident of ROMARIO RICKARDO REID is down for an Inquest (Opening).

(6) 2019 Drowning incident of TERRY GOODMAN is down for Further Hearing

Matters for Wednesday April 24, 2024

(7) Listed as a 2024 case concerning SHENGLI FU

Workplace Incident is listed for an Inquest (Opening)

(8) 2022 – ROMARIO RICKARDO REID matter continues for further hearing in the motor vehicle incident.

(9) Case from 2016 – ARSENE PIERRE. Type of Matter: Thermal Injuries

Hearing Type: Inquest (Opening)

(10) Case from 2018 – NICHOLAS TWYMAN. Type of Matter: Blunt Force Injury

Hearing Type: Inquest (Opening).

(11) Nine(9) John Doe’s for Exposure Related Deaths continues.

(12) Four(4) unidentified decedents for Exposure Related Deaths continue.

Matters for Thursday April 25, 2024

(13) Continuance of SHENGLI FU

Type of Matter: Workplace Incident

Hearing Type: Inquest (Opening)

(14) KATHLIN COX

Type of Matter: Drowning Incident

Hearing Type: Listed for Mention

(15) A JANE DOE No.1. Type of Matter: Drowning Incident

Hearing Type is fixed for Decision.

(16) A 2019 Drowning incident case of MICHAEL VONLUERTE.

Hearing Type is fixed for Mention

(17) A 2021 Grand Turk case of OPHELIA TALBOT SMITH

Type of Matter: Motor Vehicle Collision, this matter is listed for Mention.

Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

#TurksandCaicos, May 11, 2024 – Ambulance Driver/ Paramedic remanded for possession of four rounds of ammunition.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution during the plea and directions hearing dropped the firearms charge on an application by senior defense counsel, Mrs. Lara Maroof Misick.

The accused TERRELL JOSEPH, 29 then entered a guilty on the ammunition charge alone in the hope of a reduced sentence of less than 12 years imprisonment; a sentence he automatically faces according to law.

His counsel, Maroof-Misick will indeed argue and put forward submissions before his Lordship, The Hon. Mr. Justice Chris Selochan surrounding “exceptional circumstances” in an attempt to get a significantly reduced sentence for the four rounds alone.

The firearm, in this case, that he allegedly possessed was “somewhat” defective and may not have passed the legal test in a criminal trial. Joseph knew the gun wasn’t working and at the time of his arrest, the firearm could not be fired, Magnetic Media learned.

As proper ministers of justice under the leadership of the then acting DPP, Mrs. Angela Terry Brooks, hearing counsel for the accused, decided to withdraw the firearm charge and proceeded with the ammunition alone.

Sentencing for the ammunition possession offence is on May 29^th at 2pm and many will be watching as the ambulance driver – a man of very good standing in the community who was described as having “saved many lives” – hears the decision on his sentence.

Many have drawn comparisons between this case and that of tourists, who were also charged under the Firearms Ordinance with possession of ammunition.

Terrell Joseph could be the first local to be sentenced since the Court of Appeal’s direction on the proper interpretation of the Firearms Ordinance Amendment 2022.

Joseph was found with the gun and ammo in an early morning raid by Police at his apartment in early October 2023. He was remanded, and despite his clean record and impeccable lifestyle, he was denied bail.

The former ambulance driver remains at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation awaiting sentencing.

Members of the public speaking to our news team, says that if anyone deserves a chance to far lesser sentence or no jail time, it is this accused.

His arrest for firearm and ammunition broke the hearts of many upstanding law-abiding citizens of these Islands as no one could speak ill of him, and he was and still is loved by many given his profession of saving lives.