Prisons comply with judge's order:'Fishie' relocated after attack in cell

Remanded murder accused Frankie Jamal Bartholomew, aka Fishie, has been removed from the prison cell in which he was attacked on the weekend, pursuant to an order of the court on Sunday.

On Monday, docketed judge, Justice Nadia Kangaloo, was informed that Bartholomew was removed from the eastern division of the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) in Golden Grove Prisons, Arouca where he was attacked on Saturday morning, allegedly by two prisoners from the western division of the Wayne Jackson Building (Building 13), which houses high-risk prisoners.

Bartholomew is now under 24-hour guard by prison officers, in keeping with an order of Justice Betsy Ann Lambert-Peterson made on Sunday. The attempt on Bartholomew’s life took place early on Saturday at about 6 am.

Bartholomew was asleep in his cell when he was awakened by two inmates, whom he (Bartholomew) alleged were members of a Muslim gang, and who attempted to strangle him with a “long cord,” possibly a phone cord which was wrapped tightly around his neck. He was also stabbed in the upper part of his body.

Bartholomew expressed fear for his safety and security. He also said was fearful of having to rely on prison guards to secure his safety since his attackers were able to access his cell and it was possible that they (the guards) “may well have been involved” in the attack.

His attorneys went to court on Sunday, following the attack, and obtained the order from Lambert-Peterson who was the emergency weekend judge. An investigation by prison officials on what took place is currently underway.

On Monday, Kangaloo was told that the prison authorities have given the undertaking to allow Bartholomew's attorneys to take photographs of his injuries. They will also receive unimpeded access to their client to get further instructions.

Bartholomew was moved from his previous cell at 7.45 pm on Sunday and taken to another part of the MSP, Justice Kangaloo was told.

The specific cell he is now in was provided to the court in an affidavit signed by the acting deputy prison commissioner Hayden Forde.

At the end of Monday’s hearing, Kangaloo said Lambert-Peterson’s interim orders will continue until further ordered. The matter comes up again in September.

Bartholomew’s attorneys agreed they did not wish to prolong the matter and are prepared to withdraw their application for judicial review once they and their client are satisfied with measures taken so far to protect him.

The lawyers are expected to visit him at the prison to get instructions. The lawyers expressed the hope that Bartholomew is not housed in any part of the prison where he is in contact with other high-risk prisoners, and instead, is placed in the top security section which previously housed prisoners such as convicted cocaine trafficker, Deochan Ramdhanie.

They also would have preferred an area covered by CCTV cameras.

However, Bartholomew’s attorneys and those for the State both said they are not aware of the configuration of the prison.

Bartholomew’s lead attorney Gerald Ramdeen, told the court the MSP was electronically controlled and for it to have been opened, it could only have been done so by a prison officer.

However, attorney Lee Merry, who represents the prisons commissioner, said if Bartholomew wanted to be housed in a specific part of the prison, he should have said so in his application. Merry also urged the court to be circumspect in the orders it granted.

Bartholomew’s application claimed he was told by other inmates that another attempt will be made on his life.

It also said after he was returned to the same cell in which he was attacked, he was told if he did not “talk” and give the names of person officers implicated in trafficking contraband items in the prison, he would die.

These assertions have been denied by the prison authorities.

Statements are in the process of being taken from Bartholomew as part of the investigation.

The only aspect of Bartholomew’s claims which were admitted was that he received marks around his neck, there were puncture wounds to his upper chest area from which blood was flowing and he received primary medical care at the prison's infirmary and was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on Saturday.

When returned to building 13, he was only carried to his previous cell to remove his belongings and was taken to the new cell in the western division of the building.

Bartholomew was one of six men who last week were acquitted of the 2009 murder of Chivon Israh Lewis, aka Tupac, in Morvant.

He was not immediately released since he is awaiting a re-trial for the murder of a man after a WASA fete, also in 2009.

Leading the case for the Attorney General are Russell Martineau, SC, Ronnel Hinds and Ryan Grant.

Also representing Bartholomew are Wayne Sturge, Lemuel Murphy and Dayadai Harripaul.