A remand prisoner died yesterday at the Camp Street prison after he was cuffed by another inmate.
Dead is murder accused Gavin McDonald who was on remand for allegedly killing Elton Hopkinson at the Sheriff Night Club in July last year.
Information from the prison states that McDonald fell and hit his head after he was cuffed by another inmate. An informed source told Stabroek News yesterday that there were several marks on the dead man’s body. McDonald was said to have suffered from a mental illness for many years.
When contacted yesterday Director of Prisons Dale Erskine said that at about 9 am yesterday McDonald attacked another prisoner who was having a bath. The prison head stated that that prisoner, who was on remand for robbery, cuffed McDonald in the face causing him to fall and hit his head. He fell unconscious and was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He never regained consciousness, Erskine said. He went on to say that “McDonald was a prisoner with an attitude who was difficult to manage.” His death is being investigated by the police.
McDonald, also known as Gavin Austin, was charged for stabbing Hopkinson at the night club on July 31, 2006. According to reports, the two men had had an argument days before the stabbing and McDonald was beaten up. McDonald subsequently went up to Hopkinson on July 31 while he was at the club and stabbed him several times. When McDonald later appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court Attorney-at-law Leslie Sobers appeared for him. On that occasion Sobers had told the court that he had doubts whether McDonald was fit to stand trial since he had a history of mental illness and was a regular patient in the Psychiatric Ward of the Georgetown hospital.
