Today Newspaper St. Maarten

St. Maarten – Prosecutor Maarten Noordzij demanded 4 years of imprisonment yesterday against Jermaine Emanuel C. and Gilbert Ch. for their role in a prison fight whereby inmate Omar Nelson, aka Chucky, sustained serious injuries on May 4 of last year. Another player in this case, Kerry Wilson, was sentenced to 4 years on November 27 of last year.

The evidence against the two defendants is based on statements from the victim and on statements from prison guards who were at the scene when the fight occurred.

Omar Nelson was cleaning the sewing room in the prison when three – and according to one eyewitness four – inmates entered. Without saying a word they immediately attacked their victim with an improvised machete and an icepick.

One prison guard who attempted to intervene, was pushed aside by Kerry Wilson who stabbed and cut Nelson forcefully. The victim identified Wilson, Jermaine C. and Gilbert Ch. as his attackers. Contrary to what the prison guard claimed, Nelson said that Ch. Attacked him with the machete. The victim fell on the ground and a sewing machine fell on his chest in the fracas.

Gilbert Ch. aka G-Code has already several sentences to his name, amongst others for a robbery at a jewelry story in 2011. Jermaine C. is serving a 6-year sentence for attempted murder – and her term is almost up.

Prosecutor Maarten Noordzij considered the involvement of both defendants in the attack on Nelson – qualified as inflicting serious bodily harm – proven. “This was well prepared and coordinated,” he said. “Both have been sentenced before for violent crimes.”

Attorney Shaira Bommel asked the court to acquit her clients, citing insufficient legal and convincing evidence. “My client Ch. was there but he did not play a role in the fight,” she said, indicating that the same applies to Jermaine C. the attorney noted that there are contradictions in the eyewitness statements from the prison guards and the victim. “A conviction is not sustainable when it is solely based on statements by the victim,” she said.

The court will pronounce its verdict on January 29.

Demand 4 years for attacking Chucky by admin