COURT NEWS

November 03, 2006

A Prison Officer has been charged with aiding escape and willful escape. 38 year-old Wilfredo Gonzalez, a Guatemalan National of San Martin, Belmopan, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of five thousand dollars, after which the matter was adjourned to December eighth. The charges follow an escape from the Hattieville Prison last Friday. Convicted prisoner, Robert Garcia and two brothers escaped by climbing over a 25-foot high chain link fence. Shortly after, Garcia was captured. He reported that a prison officer named Wilfredo Gonzalez told him that he would allow him to escape as he had received 39 thousand quetzals. Garcia said he was instructed to make his move when he heard Gonzalez snap his finger. Charges have not yet been filed against a second prison officer, who was also fingered in the escape.

 ---------------------------

A man who is known for stealing vehicles has been sentenced to three years jail time.  38 year-old Paul Hemsley, a mechanic of 59 Kelly Street, Belize City, was yesterday found guilty of car theft before Magistrate Sharon Frazer. The theft occurred on January 22 of this year when Marciano Pena’s 1981 Toyota Corolla went missing from in front of a restaurant on Vernon Street.  The two officers who cracked the case were detectives Clement Cacho and Dirk Sutherland.  Sutherland told the court he noted two types of car thefts, the ones done by youths who steal cars for hold-ups and later abandon them and others that vanish completely after they are stolen.  Sutherland added that he suspected Hemsley because this type of car theft did not occur while Hemsley was in prison previously, and that Hemsley was a qualified mechanic and vehicle technician.  Hemsley also took both officers to Dangriga Town where they found the car scrapped but still with its VIN number. During the course of the trial Hemsley asked Sutherland how he said the VIN number was on the vehicle engine when he, Hemsley knew it to always be on the dashboard. Sutherland responded that the reason for this was to catch car thieves like Hemsley.

----------------------------

31 year-old Dennis Quilter, a fisherman of six Quail Street, Vista del Mar, Ladyville has been officially charged with handling stolen goods in connection with a pistol.  Quilter pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of five thousand dollars.  Quilter told the court that he voluntarily gave the gun to police after he was detained last month.  Following that, he claimed cops returned and charged him. Quilter alleges the charges came about because he did not want to hand up six thousand dollars. The matter was adjourned until December fifth on the condition that he does not get involved with the law before this case is concluded.

|

|