A prisoner, awaiting trial for murder,who escaped from prison on Wednesday,died in hospital one day after hisrecapture. Police said Steven Abdool, 23, andanother man escaped from the remandfacility at the Golden Grove Prison,Arouca, around 2.30 am on Wednesdayafter they sawed through bars of theirholding cell.They cut through the wire fencingand ran away but prison authoritiesrecaptured them about 20 minutes later.
Abdool’s mother, Veena Abdool, saidyesterday she believed her son was beatento death and wanted an investigationinto his death.In a telephone interview, public informationofficer for the prisons service,Wendell Bompart, said the prison officershad to use necessary force to apprehendthe escapees who were armed anddangerous.
He said after being recapturedthe men were seen by the prison’smedical team, then transferred to theArima Health Facility and then to theEric Williams Medical Sciences Complex,Mt Hope, where Abdool died justbefore 2 pm on Thursday.“It is unfortunate if he died as a resultof the injuries sustained (while beingrecaptured).
However, the prison officershave a responsibility to both fellowinmates and the public to ensure theirsafety,” he added Bompart added thatboth the escape and Abdool’s deathwould be investigated as the PrisonsService has a use-of-force policy inplace. He said the investigation into theescape was being led by a senior superintendentwho was selected by Commissionerof Prisons Martin Martinez.
During the interview with the T&TGuardian, Veena Abdool said her sonwas called Tear Drop because of thetattoo beneath his eye and was a lonerwho kept to himself. She added he wasa healthy child before being arrested.Abdool, of Pranz Garden, ClaxtonBay, was accused of murdering securityguard Holly Matthews on August 6,2011 at San Fernando/Siparia Erin Road,Philippine.Matthews, 47, of Chin Chin Road,Cunupia, was shot in the head whileon duty at Parkview Supermarket,Philippine.
He was a sergeant with PentagonSecurity. His killers also tookMathews’ gun.The autopsy on Abdool will take placeon Monday, as the Forensic ScienceCentre, St James. A preliminary examinationof his body suggested he mayhave died as a result of bone marrowembolism. The T&T Guardian was toldAbdool suffered no internal bleeding,according to his hospital medicalrecords, which showed at least threeCT scans were done on him before hedied.