body,td,th { font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }
And another case of the state or the security forces not living up to their word is the case of Bernard Timmons. He was fatally chopped to the neck while on a visit to Orange Walk. The man charged with his murder was Nimrod Tillett, who had been charged with murder twice before.
And at the time, this was the public vow of certainty in a conviction that the Minister of Home Affairs gave the family:
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"In this particular case, I have been assured, assured by the commissioner of police that the evidence is solid, not just in terms of the camera evidence, but in terms of eyewitness evidence that we will secure a conviction. But it's hugely unfortunate. Like I said, Mr. Timmons was a client of mine. His daughter, Brenae, was a client of mine. And so that one really hurt me personally."
That was September of 2022. And that's why a few weeks ago, the mother of the deceased was aghast to learn that the man accused of killing her son, the same man police were so sure they would convict had been quietly released with no word to her.
And to make it worse, the DPP last night told us that Nimrod Tillett should have NEVER been charged! She said, quote, "The police were initially advised that the evidence that they had forwarded for consideration was insufficient to sustain a charge. They nonetheless charged the accused. The file was later submitted to the Office and the position remained the same. No further evidence had been gathered. In the circumstances it was directed that the matter could not proceed to preliminary inquiry and the charge should be withdrawn."
So, the investigation was mismanaged from the outset and that vote of confidence the minister gave the mother of a murder victim was really just a fooling feeling. Last night on Uncut, Jules Vasquez asked the Commissioner if he had been the one to so gravely mislead his minister about the quality of the evidence:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Just like the mother, I am convinced that we had the right person. The DPP office do have some issues with the evidence and that is within the DPP's purview, they are the ones who prosecute these matters at the Supreme Court and from what they are saying that they want more than what we have. Just in conference on Monday, I had directed the head of National Crimes to ensure that investigators engaged again to go back over the matter and see if we can get more to be able to satisfy the threshold that the DPP wants. I will say to the mother and I must understand her position, she has all right to be riled up, she has all right to be concerned because it's not just the police who felt this is the right person, many people in Orange Walk who were around also feel like he is the right person."
Jules Vasquez
"But feelings don't get convictions.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Exactly. Feeling and knowing something without the amount of evidence to prove to a court beyond a reasonable doubt is a different story ands so what we will do, we are going back to the case and see if we can gather more and resubmit to the DPP."
Jules Vasquez "You were cautioned, the police department was cautioned not to arrest him but you all proceeded to do so. I ask that question to illustrate the argument that the department is in the habit of making statistical arrests."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Jules, again, you have the propensity of making some assertions that I don't know how you conceive them in your head. I was advised after the arrest was made that the DPP office was consulted and directions were given not to charge and to do further investigation but by the time that information reached me, charges were already levied. I'm not going to say here what I told head of CIB and OC Orange Walk because that's an internal matter. But you have friends who sit around my conference table and they can tell you what were my words to them and I'll leave it at that."
We will keep following the case closely to know if and when the evidence is re-submitted for arrest.
