A high-profile prisoner, outraged that he was not granted bail, hurled a book at Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Persid Edmond as he was leaving the ‘further remand centre’ in New Amsterdam at around 11:40 am yesterday.
Geeta Chandn-Persid Edmond
Reports are that Bishram Emmamudin of Canje pulled out the book, titled: “Deceit of Lucifer” from his pants waist and threw it at the magistrate. It missed her by a few inches and landed on the desk in front of her.
The unarmed court orderly had just left the magistrate alone at the desk to assist the lone police officer to escort the prisoners down the stairs when the attack occurred.
After that the officers tried to rush the man off to the prison but Magistrate Chandan-Persid Edmond immediately summoned him and told him he had acted in contempt of court and that he had just committed misconduct in the face of the court.
She asked him how he pleaded and he said “guilty.” He was also asked what he had to say and without expressing any remorse, he responded that he was charged with “rape, robbery under arms and unlawful possession of ammunition” and was on remand for five months.
The magistrate’s husband, attorney-at-law, Joel Persid Edmond told this newspaper that he arrived at the scene about 10 minutes after the attack and met a few prisoners.
He said when he questioned them about the incident they responded that before the session Emmamudin had threatened that “leh she [magistrate] don’t give me bail today yuh gon see wah ah gon do wid she…” He then asked the prisoners why they did not report what he had said and they replied that he had told them that “he in prison already and he can’t go further than prison.”
The prisoner was before Magistrate Chandan-Persid Edmond at the Reliance Court facing three charges and was said to be always hostile and aggressive. Observers said that the man should have attended court fully shackled and handcuffed.
Stabroek News was told that the man was missing from court for a while and “on that basis an arrest warrant was issued for him. After some time had elapsed he was rearrested” and placed on remand.
Shaken by the incident, the magistrate was worried that instead of the book, a weapon could have been used and she could have been injured. Her husband said that “had the orderly been there he would have been able to observe the movements.”
Joel Persid-Edmond emphasized the need for the orderly to be present at court and said that “without the orderly the court is not properly constituted.”
He said it is a regular occurrence for the orderly to leave the magistrate unprotected and assist in escorting prisoners to and from court.
The lawyer mentioned too that in light of the attack on her colleague, Magistrate Nigel Hawke, “the security should have been beefed up.”
It has also been observed that students from the nearby All Saints Primary School are always in the compound of the remand centre.
Persons said that should not be allowed to happen as “dangerous criminals are present and could hold a child hostage.”
The magistrate contacted a senior officer at the prison and he “was very dismissive” and informed her that they would normally allow the prisoners to have books.
Meanwhile, Commander of ‘B’ Division, George Vyphuis promised that additional security would be provided for the magistrate and that the matter would be treated with the utmost seriousness, according to Joel Persid-Edmond.
He said security is the main concern for his wife right now and that she would be returning to work today “not knowing what to expect and how to function. She would now have to be doing her work and looking around” in case of any more attacks.
He questioned, “How can she perform her job efficiently if she has to be in fear all the time.”
I think the magistrate has a mouth and should speak for her self and not her husband — wait a second here is the same lawyer who would defend the criminals and ask for bail ha ha ha ha ha
shameful, dangerous, and distasteful!
Can’t believe it is that easy. No wonder crim is so high in Guyana…
‘high profile prisoner….?
‘unarmed court…?
‘the lone police officer to escort the prisoners down the stairs when the attack occurred…?
hmmmmmm…
send them away for a long, long vacation
Guyana’s penal system is so weak… LOOK WHO IS THROWING THE BOOK AT WHO???????????????
ALL THE MAGISTRATES SHOULD GO ON STRIKE.
Prisoners should be PUNISHED for their sins, not kept locked up in a room.
Remember the ten comandent of man judge not an u not b judge
Not being a Christian myself, bryan; I do not care too much for the Bible except to add that gross misinterpretation of that book has led us many of the world’s current problems.
Common-sense first, Bible second.
Lol, this is funny it should be the other way around where the magistrate throws the proverbial book at the accused, but it seem the accused is doing the throwing of the book, on all seriousness, more security is needed, i guess they haven’t learned after the attack on magistrate hawke.
Madam Magistrate:
For this offence, give him 5 (FIVE) years hard labor. Set the precedent.
Mr. Sase,
Are you familiar with a blogger who goes by the name Brandon Samaroo? I think he is familiar with you and is under the illusion that I am you since lately he has been referring to me as “AKA Sase”
Please set him straight on your identity. That may be quite a challenge since he seems to have a one track mind with singular irrational obsession with the PPP. Good luck.
Note to BS:
Heeeeeeeere’s Sase! Wake up, your nightmare is over.
psydium
dat man called SAMAROO is loosing it on this blog site…
he is calling lots of people here cack eye thinking its my blog too ehehehehehehehe….i will tell you why he is allowed to do it and do it as often…you see he and sn has the same agenda….they bith support the afc political party…so dont wonder why when some of your blogs are not printed…..he is the one i called “CACK EYE SAMAROO KAA KAA TU TU coz in my poinion dats wat he is…he also used names like turbo and pepie hahahahaha……he cant help it…..
Things are truly heating up in that place. What is next?
Additional security fa what,would the security officer have jumed in front of the magistrate to take a book in the chest.The prisoner should have been shackled and hand cuffed before being led into the court.End of story.
“had the orderly been there he would have been able to observe the movements.”………………… Orderly ma foot!… these prisoners should have been properly searched before entering the court, period!
If he had a gun and the unarmed orderly had “observed his movements”, would he had been able to protect her?
should bring dem in in chains hands and feet bound….dats they only way for safety…..