A prisoner who wanted a fresh start to 2018 was arrested wobbling his way to freedom after damaging his feet during an early morning escape from the Port of Spain State Prison yesterday.
According to a media release issued by the Prisons Service, Chester Williams, who was serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence for robbery, was arrested on Pembroke Street bleeding just after 10 am. The release stated that Williams is to be charged with escaping lawful custody. He escaped during a recreational exercise.
Insiders said Williams jumped the wall of a restricted area of the prison. From that wall he jumped some 15 plus feet below, hoped over a police barricade placed around the prison following a deadly jail break in 2015 and began his wobble to freedom. It ended minutes later at Pembroke Street.
Prison officers immediately noticed Williams’ absence and went in search of him. Their quick response was lauded by Prisons Commissioner Gerard Wilson. The public and police were also thanked for they their assistance. The release added that heightened security mechanisms are in place in all stations to “monitor and minimise the reoccurrence of such incidents”.
“A comprehensive investigation had been launched to ascertain the details of the escape. The Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service will continue to work closely with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service on the investigation” the release ended.
In 2015, Allan “Scanny” Martin, Hassan Atwell and Christopher “Monster” Selby, escaped the Port- of- Spain Prison after a gun was allegedly smuggled into the jail.
That daring escape on July 24 ended with the deaths of Martin at the hands of police, Atwell at the hands of criminals and the murder of police officer Sherman Maynard. Selby later surrendered to police and was charged with 10 offences including Maynard’s murder.
Two months later, two men escaped from Carera Island Prison. The men Steve McGilvery and Leroy “Redo” Mohammed escaped custody on August 31, 2015. McGilvery, who was serving a 30-year-sentence for manslaughter, was in the top security section of the prison along with Mohammed, as both were deemed high risk.
The men were noticed missing just after 6 pm. Mc Gilvery was recaptured two years later, while Mohammed died in a shootout with police months after Mc Gilvery was recaptured.