Relatives believe he was killed, call for probe

A 47-year-old Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara man was discovered dead in the Brickdam Police Station lock-ups early yesterday morning with marks of violence about his body and his relatives believe that he sustained fatal injuries at the hands of the police.

Dead is James Nelson of Lot 7 Church Street, Stanleytown, a mason who has been suffering from mental problems over the years, but who would lead a normal life once he received treatment.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Stabroek News that Nelson was arrested somewhere on Brickdam on Monday for behaving disorderly. He was detained at the Brickdam Police Station, Persaud said, and was discovered dead in a cell in the lock-ups, with bruises to his face.

James Nelson

A police press release issued later said Nelson was arrested around 10 am on Monday after he entered the compound of the Ministry of Home Affairs and began behaving disorderly, allegedly over a sum of money owed to him by a contractor who had sent him off the job.

The release said he was spoken to by a Special Constabulary officer on duty but continued to behave in a disorderly manner and had to be restrained. The rank subsequently arrested him and handed him over to a police patrol that had been summoned.

The release added that having passed through the procedures for prisoners at the Brickdam Police Station, Nelson was placed in the lock-ups where he remained throughout the night. There were 20 other prisoners in the lock-ups for various offences.

However, around 6.30 am yesterday, acting on information received from a prisoner, police ranks entered the lock-ups and found Nelson lying motionless in his cell. He was picked up and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An examination of the body revealed a bruise over his right eye and a small cut over his left eye.
Other prisoners were questioned and they told the police that during the night Nelson was seen banging his head against the wall of the lock-ups.
Contact was made with his sister Michelle Nelson of ‘D’ Field, Sophia, the police said, who confirmed that he would suffer from nervous breakdowns from time to time.
The release said that a post-mortem examination would be conducted today.

Yesterday relatives expressed shock at the man’s sudden demise and complained about the way police officers at the station treated them.
Many persons gathered outside the locked station gates as the news of Nelson’s death spread.  Nelson’s wife Gloria told this newspaper that when she and other relatives arrived, the police took statements from them and they were told that they would see his body when the hearse arrived to take it away. However, the police did not keep their word; everyone was ordered out of the compound and the gate locked, she related.

Gloria said her husband’s eldest son from a previous union later saw the body and told her that  Nelson’s face and hands were badly swollen, there were marks on his hands and there was also a gaping wound to the back of the head. She was adamant that Nelson would have been badly beaten and said she did not believe that the prisoners who were in the same cell did it. This was also the opinion of the other relatives.

Mental problems
Gloria said Nelson would suffer mental problems at least once a year, but he would be taken to the Psychiatric Clinic at the Georgetown Hospital or a private psychiatrist for treatment. Within a week, he would be back to his old self, she added.
Recounting his recent episode, she said the man fell ill last Thursday and though he was acting normally she could tell that something was wrong with him. They made plans to have the man seek medical attention on Monday. He was last seen early Sunday night, Gloria said, adding that when she contacted the man’s son on Monday morning, Nelson could not be located.

No one knew of the man’s whereabouts until the son received a telephone call some time after six on Tuesday morning saying that he was in the lock-ups.
About half an hour later, the son got another call informing him that his father was dead.
According to the woman, immediate contact was made with other relatives and they all made their way to the station where they were sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to give statements.

She told this newspaper that they were then informed that they would have a chance to identify the body, which was still lying in the lock-ups.
However, that never happened, as everyone was told that they had to leave.
“They put everybody out of the yard. They tell we how they don’t want everybody in the compound and that everybody must go on the road. Then they lock up the gate,” she said.
Commenting on what may have sparked the man’s arrest, she said he may have been attempting to see an official at the ministry and when he was told that he could not he probably “started to behave bad”.

She said it might have been at this point that the police became involved in the matter
“They know everything that transpired in there. They know how he died… They didn’t want us to see him in that state that was why we were not shown the body,” the grieving widow said.

“We want justice for Jimmy. He [was] not a criminal for them to beat he so”, another relative said.
Stabroek News understands that statements were also taken from the other prisoners who were in the same cell with Nelson. His relatives are calling for a thorough investigation into the incident so that those responsible can be held accountable.

There have been several cases recently of prisoners dying under suspicious circumstances while in police custody. On January 17, Ramesh Sawh was found hanging by his jersey in a cell at the Enmore lock-ups. Police denied claims that the man was beaten while in police custody.

In July, Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang ordered that the magistrate presiding at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court hold an inquest into the death.
To date it has not started since it had to be postponed on two occasions owing to the absence of the jury and witnesses.

In June Surindranauth Bhoojnauth was found hanging by his belt in the Mahaica Police Station lock-ups. His relatives had said they found it odd that the belt and other items were not taken away from him, as is customary when placing someone in the lock-ups. A senior police at the station was questioned but nothing came out of the matter.