Guyana Observer News

Prisoner Blackman was stabbed to death -autopsy

Tuesday, 09 February 2010

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Post-mortem examinations on the two prisoners killed during last Friday’s brawl yesterday confirmed reports that Solomon Blackman was stabbed and beaten about the body, while Dawan ‘Dyal’ Singh was beaten repeatedly to the head. Police, in a statement, stated the examination on Blackman’s body found that he died as a result of multiple injuries caused by “sharp and blunt force” to the body. The cause of death for Singh was given as “cerebral haemorrhage,” which was caused by “multiple blunt cranial trauma.” The examinations were performed by government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh. Authorities were still unwilling yesterday to respond to questions about the case. Director of Prisons Dale Erskine directed this newspaper to the Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and said he had no comments to make on the issue.

Preliminary reports, according the Home Affairs Ministry, have revealed that at approximately 2.10 am, the officers on duty responded to unusual sounds emanating from the capital dormitory. After investigating, officers in the prison yard were alerted by a loud noise in the same division, where a prisoner was shouting that Blackman had assaulted another inmate –Singh. On returning to the dormitory, the ranks observed Blackman “striking” Singh, who was lying on a mattress. The other prisoners became infuriated and began to attack Blackman (who was deemed mentally unstable) severely beating him.

The police have said that Blackman attacked Singh with a piece of wood and lashed him about the body. As a consequence, a number of other prisoners attacked Blackman, during which he received injuries about his body.

A source close to the prison had told this newspaper a day after the incident that after he was hit, Singh, armed with an ice pick, tried to defend himself. He was, however, overpowered by Blackman, who turned the ice pick on the man stabbing him several times. Blackman used a piece of wood he had ripped from the ceiling to hit Singh, the source had said.

According to the ministry, the two injured prisoners were taken out at approximately 2.40 am and taken to the Georgetown Hospital, where they were pronounced dead by the doctor on duty an hour later.

‘A deadly problem’

Selochanie Singh, the wife of Singh, is calling on the prison to launch an internal investigation to determine how prisoners are able to access sharp objects and weapons before they are faced with another fatal incident. “How does knife, ice-pick and dem sort of things get inside [the prison],” the woman questioned, adding that based on the wounds on her husband’s body, it is clear that a sharp object was definitely used. The police yesterday did not say if Singh sustained stab wounds.

The woman also questioned where the other inmates could have gotten the pieces of wood they used to beat Blackman. She said all could not have come from the ceiling of the dorm. “What dem do? Rip the whole dorm ceiling out to get wood? I know my husband is dead and so is the man who attack him but I am still concerned about how these woods and ice-picks getting in the prison,” the woman said. “This shouts to me that there is an administration problem and it is a dangerous and deadly problem.”

Since her husband was remanded, the woman related, she has been a steady visitor at the Georgetown Prison. Selochanie said that based on her experience it is impossible for an outsider to get by the prison’s security with prohibited items. The security checks conducted on visitors and the items they bring with them are extremely thorough, she stressed. “If you bring food, dem does dig down inside the bowl,” Selochanie said. “You can’t even hide a $20 in a Colgate box they does find it. So tell me, you don’t think is impossible for outsiders to smuggle in big wood and ice-picks for these men?”

This is an issue she intends to raise with the prison administration. “These ships that sailing in the prison with all these things and taking good pay for it got to be stopped,” Selochanie stated. She also questioned where the wardens were.

‘They coulda saved his life’

It is still unclear how many officers were on duty at the time of the incident; where they were stationed; how many prisoners were in the capital offence dorm and how many were involved in the incident.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that “on returning to the dormitory the ranks observed prisoner Blackman striking prisoner Singh who was lying on a mattress. The other prisoners became infuriated and began to attack Solomon Blackman severely beating him.” Stabroek News has learnt that the prison officers who responded did not enter the dorm for fear that some of the prisoners might have attempted to escape and instead they called for external assistance.

Selochanie said she was told that the prison officers, even before the other inmates joined in the brawl, just stood and watched the whole thing. “They coulda saved his life in there,” the woman said. “I am convinced that if they had enough staff and if it had staff posted around the dorm area then, they coulda control this situation better.”

The questions surrounding staffing at the Georgetown Prison have been raised in the past. This is another issue on which Rohee has repeatedly declined to comment.

Blackman, 40, an ex-policeman, went berserk at the Brickdam Police Station on March 1, 2004, and allegedly killed Deputy Superintendent Richard Griffith and Lance Corporal Ramnarine Latchana while wounding two more.

Singh, 49, an Essequibo resident, was charged with murdering speedboat operator Stanley Bovell, whom he is accused of fatally stabbing on October 16, 2007 after a row over a borrowed knife. Last June, Singh was committed to stand trial in the High Court by Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Suddie Magistrates’ Court. His trial was scheduled to begin this month.

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