Prison Officer behind bars as investigations continue into prison break

A prison officer has been suspended from his job and is now behind bars, until at least October 11, as investigations continue into the prison break of murder accused Veron Primus.

Louie Cupid, a 12-year veteran of the prison service was escorted to the Serious Offences Court by Inspector Elgin Richards of the Major Crimes Unit this morning.

The Murray Village resident pushed a black cap down over his face and was adamant about avoiding the publicity.

Receiving instructions from his lawyers Grant Connell and Joseph Delves, Cupid pleaded not guilty to the two charges laid against him.

The first of these is that he, at Her Majesty’s Prisons, between September 29 and October 1, being employed in the public service as a prison officer, did abuse the authority of his office, an arbitrary act, prejudicial to the rights of the Superintendent of Prisons, to wit conspired to aid the escape of Veron Primus.

The second charge is that he, between September 24 and October 2, at Her Majesty’s Prisons, did agree with Primus that a course of conduct should be pursued which if carried out would amount to the offence of escaping lawful custody. Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche objected to his bail as the investigations, which concern a matter of national security, are at a delicate stage. They, the prosecution and investigators, feared if Cupid were to be released he would hinder these investigations.

The defense lawyer, in objecting to this objection made multiple arguments and said that he understands it’s an embarrassing situation for the State but arresting his client cannot fix the problem.

The Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne said that due to the seriousness of the charge she would not consider bail at the time but that it would be reviewed on Friday, October 11.

This is the second time that Cupid has been accused of criminal conduct in relation to Her Majesty’s Prisons. In 2016, he was charged that on October 31, 2016 he brought or attempted to bring into the prison, a cellular phone and its accessories, contrary to Section 47 B of the Prisons Act. However on January 20, 2017, the Crown withdrew the charges against him.

Veron Primus, awaiting trial for the 2015 murder of real estate agent Sharleen Greaves was found to be missing from the prison on Tuesday of this week. Wanted bulletins were subsequently issued until Primus, accompanied by attorney Jomo Thomas, turned himself in to the police later that afternoon.

Primus has been sentenced to 16 months for escaping lawful custody, which carried a maximum of three years in prison.