The accounts given by prison authorities, double-murder accused and two-time jail-breaker Veron Primus and his jailed sex mate Shadene Farrel are as controversial and ridiculous as can be.
Where exactly were prison escapees Veron Primus and Ulric Hanson between December 8th and 9th, 2020?
That’s the big question now being asked after careful scrutiny of the information presented to the Kingstown Magistrate court on Friday 11th December and Monday 14th December on matters relating to the recent jailbreak.
Better yet, how did Hanson and Primus managed to be three places at the same time, on the same day?
Authorities reported Primus and Hanson as missing from the prison on the morning of Wednesday December 9th, 2020.
They were recaptured at a house in Lowmans Leeward on the morning of Thursday 10th December
Primus pleaded guilty to thee charges that; between December 7th and 10th, at Kingstown, he escaped lawful custody; and, between December 5th and 10th, without lawful excuse, he damaged one sheet of 3/8” plywood valued at EC$148.48 and one sheet of 16-foot galvanise, valued at $153.59, the property of the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
But, there is still no idea as to when the prisoners left the prison compound.
On Monday, from the police investigation report, the prosecution said that at about 3 a.m on December 9th, senior prison officer Alexander returned to the prison for duties and around that time, corporal McFee took four inmates to the kitchen to assist Alexander.
And, according state prosecutor Corlene Samuel reading a statement from Primus to the police, the escapees on December 9th, 2020, went through the roof, about 3 a.m and it took them about two hours to get off the roof of the prison.
Then at around that time senior prison officer Alexander was returning to the prison to take up duties, and around that time four prisoners were being taken from their cells to the kitchen, Primus and Hanson were said to be escaping from the prison.
Then, according to Primus’ statement, it took the escapees two hours to get off the prison roof, bringing it to 5 a.m as the time they got to the ground on the side facing Vinlec.
Then it was said in court that at about 5 a.m., Corporal Mc Fee and prison officer Campbell took some prisoners to work in the kitchen, the bakery and the workshop.
Well, at the time the escapees got off the roof of the prison, there were plenty of activities as prisoners were being taken from their cells to different parts of the compound.
Now, here comes the twist.
The court heard that up to that point where the escapes gotto the ground after two hours on the roof, the prison officers at the time were reporting that everything was in order at the facility.
The court also heard that on Tuesday 8th December, 2020, Corporal McFee and five other prison officers worked the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. prison shift, having taken over duties from Corporal Dabreo, and that checks were made every hal-hour.
If checks were made every half-hour after 7 p.m on Tuesday 8th December, and up to 5 a.m on the following day, Wednesday 9th December, and all was well according to the reports then at what time did the prisoners leave and how is this possible?
According to Primus, he and Hanson dug a hole under the fence for them to go through.
According to what came out in court, at about 5.42 a.m on the same day corporal Mc Fee and prison officer Campbell were in the prison yard when they received nformation about a cell in the block called Star Class 2. Checks were made and they saw that white sheets were hanging from the roof to the bunk bed in the cell.
It means the escapees would have been long gone when they were discovered missing.
Then the court was told an interesting story by twenty-nine-year-old Shadene Farrell of Lowmans Hill at whose home the escapees were caught.
Farrel was sentenced to one year last Friday when she pleaded guilty to a charge that between December 9th and 10th 2020, at Lowmans Hill, knowing Primus and Hanson to be guilty of escaping lawful custody, did, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, an act to impede their apprehension or prosecution.
She told the court that on Wednesday 9th December, at about 5 a.m, she was at home making what she called ‘Jello Shots’ when she heard a knocking on the door. She she opened the door and saw Primus, whom she knew previously, and his fellow escapee Hanson.
Farrel said she told Primus that they could not stay there because she would get into trouble and he told her that in thirty minutes or so they would be discovered missing.
It therefore means that at the time Farrell said the prison escapees arrived at her home in Lowmans Primus and Hanson were supposed to have just gotten off the prison roof and about to dig a hole under the fence at the prion to escape, according to what the court heard on Monday.
Even more interesting, at the time Farrell was seeing Hanson and Primus at her door in Lowmans, they were supposed to be in their prison cell in Kingstown, according to prison authorities who reported that all was well at the prison then.
It is very strange therefor that at 5 a.m on December 9th, 2020 Primus and Hanson were at three different places at the same time. They were in the prison cell. They were just getting to the ground after two hours trying to get off the roof, and at same time they were at the door of Farrel’s home.