Chaos almost broke out at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday, as police there attempted to arrest Fabian Jessop while he was in the courtroom.
Jessop, for whom an arrest warrant was issued in connection with the murder of George Bacchus, was taken to court by Attorney-at-Law Vic Puran.
Puran had parked his vehicle on Brickdam, near St Stanislaus College and accompanied Jessop from there into the courtyard, past a number of policemen and into the courtroom.
However, ranks from Criminal Investigation Department only attempted to arrest Jessop after he was placed in the dock.
“No police can arrest my client while he is in court. I brought him here and as of now he is in the court’s custody. The police have no jurisdiction in the court to arrest anyone,” Puran told the ranks from CID.
“I am telling you that if you want to arrest him then you would have to fetch him out of the court and that will not happen as long as I am here,” Puran told the police ranks as they attempted to arrest Jessop.
Puran then went into Magistrate Cecil Sullivan’s chambers and told him what was happening.
Magistrate Sullivan subsequently ordered that Jessop remain in the court.
When the case was called, the murder charge was read to Jessop.
However, he was not required to plea since the matter is indictable.
Jessop, his aunt Debra Douglas and Delon ‘Fat Boy’ Reynolds were all charged with the murder of George Bacchus. Reynolds allegedly confessed to the police that he killed Bacchus.
It is alleged that Reynolds also admitted that he committed the act after being promised $200,000 from Jessop and Douglas.
Bacchus was killed at his Princes Street home on June 24 at about 02:40 hrs.
When the case was called about two weeks ago, the prosecution had told the court that they would have to institute new charges against Douglas and Reynolds since Jessop was still at large. However, this is no longer necessary as Jessop has turned himself in.
The matter was transferred to Court 3 yesterday where Magistrate Bertlyn Reynolds set next Tuesday as the date for the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry. Meanwhile, Puran was informed after the hearing that the police had taken his client to the CID Headquarters instead of the Camp Street prison.
Puran went to CID and told them of the Magistrate’s order. The attorney claimed that the police refused to listen to him but indicated that they would take Jessop to the Camp Street prison later.