Supreme Court denies bail in Blake murder

Two men arrested in the murder of Therese Blake Ayuso have been denied bail by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Abdullah Conteh turned down the application by police corporal Rodwell “Tiger” Richards and Ernest Kemp. The pair is charged with both abetment and conspiracy to murder. Defence attorneys Simeon Sampson and Michel Chebat say there is no evidence to support the charges, but prosecutor Velda Flowers maintains that Richards and Kemp can be positively linked to the crime. In his judgment Conteh said that the men should remain in custody until they go to trial, most likely within a month. Until that time they are being held at the minimum security YEA facility in Ladyville. For attorney Sampson, the case is just one more in which the police have reached beyond the evidence.

Simeon Sampson, Defence Attorney

“But I know if this is all what they have this is rubbish. This will be another repetition of what happened in the case of Melvin Young, arresting people without having any evidence.”

Jacqueline Woods

“Another question for you. Why were your clients sent to YEA and not to the Hattieville prison?”

Simeon Sampson

“I was told when “Tiger” especially entered the big prison there was a big commotion by convicted prisoners to hurt or cause violence to “Tiger” in particular. So the commissioner of prison Mister Adolphus appraised of the situation had the boys transferred to YEA the minimum security wing of the prison where it was felt he will be much safer there free from threats and attacks of violence.”

Richards and Kemp return to Magistrate’s Court on November fourteenth.