A clothes vendor who escaped from the Brickdam Police Station shortly after being arrested over a chain snatching was yesterday sentenced to a year in prison.

Brian Jones, 26, entered a guilty plea to the charge of escape from lawful custody when he appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Jones, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge of larceny from the person.

Jones admitted that on December 18, at the Brickdam Police Station, being in lawful custody for an alleged chain snatching, he escaped.

Police Prosecutor Corporal Alexis David Hossanah stated that Jones was arrested and taken to the police station where he was placed on a bench and told of the allegation of the larceny of two gold chains.

The corporal said that a short while after, Jones got up and walked out of the station. He was caught in the station’s compound by another rank when an alarm was raised.

But Jones stated, “I din try fuh escape, I dey going to de toilet at de back ah de building.”

The corporal then stated that all of the washrooms were located in the building.
Jones said, “Look I din even get fuh empty me system…, cause as soon as I get in de yard dey hold on pun me. I know that deh gah a toilet at de back ah de yard though.”

Meanwhile, the court was told that Jones had previous served a two-year sentence in prison for breaking and entering. He, however, denied that on December 13, at Avenue of the Republic, he stole two gold chains valued over $45,000 from Sandra De Nobrega. Hossanah said the chains were not recovered.

Magistrate Robertson sentenced Jones to twelve months imprisonment for the escape from lawful custody charge and ordered that he be remanded to prison on the larceny charge.

He is scheduled to make another court appearance on January 22 next year.