Andrew Bennett Arraigned and Released on Bail

Andrew Bennett

In his submission, Sylvester made the point that Bennett was not a flight risk and had to prove to the court that his client would not abscond should he be granted bail.  Sylvester and his legal team, which includes attorneys Illiana Swift and Gavin Courtenay, went as far as providing the Chief Magistrate with stringent conditions for Bennett’s release, including the surrendering of his travel documents, as well as a schedule for him to check in twice weekly at the Queen Street Police Precinct.

Anthony Sylvester

Anthony Sylvester, Attorney for Andrew Bennett

“Way back as the twenty-eight of December, he knew about the request [and] he did not flee, because that’s one of the things that the court has to consider in order to determine that the government may be potentially violating or breaching its treaty obligation.  If bail is granted, would the person return?  So we stressed and we showed that look, as way back as the twenty-eighth of December he got knowledge of this, thanks to you guys in the media.  Later on he had knowledge that the minister, Minister Elrington, the foreign minister, actually in fact signed the order for the process to actually start and to be proceeded with.  Then the warrant which was issued by the court for his arrest, he knew about that and he voluntarily complied, turned in himself and those are things which show that clearly he has no intention of going anywhere and that he will be in court on the second and every other occasion on which the court so orders the matter to continue.”