Prison officers on manslaughter charge

Two assistant superintendents at the Georgetown Prisons were yesterday placed on $500,000 bail each after they were charged with the manslaughter of prisoner Edwin Niles.

Edwin Niles

The men, Kurt Corbin, 30, of N 27 George Avenue, Lamaha Springs, and Gladwin Samuels, 26, formerly of Bartica and of 89 Oronoque Street, Bourda, were charged with the unlawful killing of Niles. They were not required to plead to the charge.

Attorney-at-law Hukumchand in association with Kamini Parag represented the men.

Humkumchand said in his bail application that there is no known factor that points at the two accused not returning for their trial which is the basis on which bail is granted.

He said that because the two men are members of the “correctional services” they understand the principles of the court system and as such will be present for their trial.

Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith then stated that the prosecution was not opposing bail.

Kurt Corbin

When the matter was adjourned the men left the courtroom from where they had entered via its front door and not down the chute as other defendants do.

Attorney-at-law Raphael Trotman was present throughout the proceedings and told the court that he was watching the interest of the victim’s mother, Brenda Nurse, who is the Virtual Complainant (VC) in the matter.

Thirty-four-year-old Niles of Guyhoc Park succumbed to injuries he sustained after reportedly receiving a sound beating when he was found with a quantity of ammunition at the Camp Street prisons. He was reported to have had seven .22 rounds of ammunition in his possession after returning to the prison from a day of labour at Camp Ayanganna. He was hospitalized for nine days before he died. He was serving a three-year sentence for narcotics possession and would have been released sometime this month. A statement from the police had said that the man was admitted to the GPHC following reports that he had been beaten after he was found with the ammunition. According to a  post-mortem report Niles died as a result of a blood clot in the lungs due to burns about the back and a fractured left arm.

Gladwin Samuels

Niles’ death has attracted much public comment as it relates to interrogation methods and the conduct of the disciplined services. It was thought that he was severely beaten as the prison officers were concerned about a possible bloody plot to break out of the Camp Street jail.
Corbin and Samuels are to return to court on October 14.