Crime chief speaks of case in which he is not so proud

A POLICE OFFICER who has distinguished himself as one of this country’s top detectives said last week that one of his past cases comes into his mind ever so often.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) with responsibility for fighting crime in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG),Trevor Bailey made the comment on Monday August 12,2024 on WE FM.

Bailey has been involved in several high-profile cases, including homicides, over his 33 years and eight months as a police officer.

Speaking on “Voices”, with sit-in host, Kenton Chance, Executive Editor of iWitness News, ACP Bailey when asked if there is any part of his stint as a detective about which he is not proud answered in the affirmative.

“There is a matter,” he offered, “…but in an effort not to offend a grieving family I would not specifically mention the matter… “But there is matter that has always been, and ever so often you will hear people speak of the matter and they speak the things that they know not of,” he said.

“They speak things they would have heard that is as far as, distance east to west. I don’t know what is that measurement, but their facts are so distorted from the real facts…,” the ACP commented.

He said a time will come, probably after his retirement in seven years, when he will talk about the case that bothers him.

“A time will come, when maybe you will be given the opportunity to interview me at a later stage in life… maybe when the gloves are off in seven years time,” the ACP noted, while revealing that he would not be seeking an extension of tenure when he attains retirement age in 2031.

One significant unsolved case in which the Assistant Commissioner was one of the main investigators is the Glenn Jackson murder case in which retired Assistant Superintendent of Police Willisford Caesar, and Sergeant Selwyn Jack were part of the investigating team.

Jackson at the time of his death was press secretary and personal aide to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. He was murdered on Monday, March 6, 2006, and a Sion Hill resident, 24 at the time, was charged for shooting Jackson with the media professional’s own .9 millimetre pistol.

The case against the accused was later discontinued and back in 2008, SEARCHLIGHT Newspaper reported that at the discontinuation of the Jackson murder trial High Court Judge, Frederick Bruce-Lyle openly chided the investigators, Bailey (Station Sergeant

at the time), Corporal Rudolph Bartholomew, and Sergeant Selwyn Jack for what he called their “awful investigation”, in what, in his opinion, was the most important case in the history of SVG in recent times.

“These are veterans of the police force, attached to an elite unit – The Major Crimes Unit – how could they have faltered so badly?

In fact, Station Sergeant Trevor Bailey, in an obvious show of being candid to the Court, admitted under cross-examination, and from questioning by me that he erred. In fact he erred very badly,” said the judge in 2008.

Bruce-Lyle, now deceased, also heavily criticized the “comical evidence” from Corporal Bartholomew, and ended by stating that there was a “pot-pourri of bungling and flouting procedures to a level that will amaze every right thinking person.”

The investigators were chided by the Judge for not having the alleged confession in writing with the signature of the accused, among a host of other irregularities that condemned the case to failure.

Following the judge’s remarks, then Commissioner of Police (COP), Keith Miller said that an investigation into the work done by the police will be done. Then Deputy Commissioner, Bertram Pompey spearheaded that investigation.

After this case, Bailey went on to distinguish himself in several other cases. Among them, two double murders- the killings of Vonley Llewellyn and Jenine Gill on December 15, 2005; and the May 4, 2017 shooting deaths of brothers Danroy Cozier, a 26-year-old Police Constable, and Nicholas Cozier, 19.

Erickson Harris, a policeman at the time, was charged in 2007 for the murders of Llewellyn and Gill (their charred bodies were found in Gill’s burntout home). Harris served 10 years in prison for manslaughter.

Schemel ‘Jacket’ Dunbar, and Kendine ‘Hoodie’ Douglas were found guilty of murdering Constable Cozier and his brother and are serving life sentences.