British Soldier Perry Stratford is Offered Bail After Domestic Spat

Perry Stratford

Earlier today, thirty-year-old Perry Stratford, a British national who was arraigned on Tuesday for alleged kidnapping, theft, harm and damage to property against his fiancée, was granted bail at the Supreme Court.  The emergency bail application before Justice Ricardo O’Neil Sandcroft commenced at 10:30, following a delay in transporting Stratford, a British army soldier, from the Belize Central Prison.  Stratford is accused of abducting his wife-to-be, Gabriela Vanutterbeeck, on Christmas Eve, seizing her cell phone and beating her up.  This morning, Stratford, who is attached to the British Army Training Support Unit Belize in Ladyville, was offered bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars, plus one surety of the same amount.  His bail conditions included very stringent conditions which attorney Orson ‘OJ’ Elrington described to freelance court reporter Anita Nembhard this morning.

Orson “OJ” Elrington

Orson “OJ” Elrington, Attorney-at-law

“After the issues arose yesterday, we decided to make an emergency application for bail.  The court was gracious enough to grant us that emergency application for bail.  So this morning, that application began and obviously, as you would have heard, there were a number of different issues that arose during that process of which not the least being that the learned justice was particularly perturbed about the fact that military and law enforcement officers at all costs, so long as they have not been convicted, should have alternative places for them to reside until their bail can be heard at least.”

Anita Nembhard

“Tell us how the application went and what‘s the amount of bail for Mr. Stratford and these stringent conditions that he has been placed under.”

Orson Elrington

“Yes.  Of course, the court understanding the unique circumstances of the matter before us, placed some very, very strict conditions on Mr. Stratford in granting him bail.  Those conditions include but are not limited to the fact that he cannot leave the premises at Price Barracks.  He must report every single day to the military police and of course the normal conditions apply that if, he cannot get into, he cannot be accused of any other matter while he is out on bail and obviously he cannot contact the virtual complainant in this matter.”