Mom detained as Bloomfield murder suspect absconds
Published:Thursday | November 3, 2022 | 12:12 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
The police are probing whether the parents of the man held for the murder of former Portland Eastern Member of Parliament Dr Lynvale Bloomfield played a role in his disappearance yesterday ahead of the start of his trial in the Home Circuit Court.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn instructed the investigator in the case on Wednesday to launch an investigation into an attempt to pervert the course of justice with respect to the parents of the defendant, Simeon Sutherland.
In the wake of Sutherland’s flight, his mother, who was his surety, was taken into custody while arrangements are being made for the bail amount to be paid.
The 23-year-old defendant, who was on $800,000 bail, was expected to return to court yesterday morning after his bail was extended on Monday.
But when the matter was ready to proceed, Sutherland, who the court earlier heard was on his way, was a no-show.
His attorney, Peter Champagnie, KC, said he was “beyond surprised” by the turn of events and indicated that he had met with Sutherland earlier at his office in the presence of his parents.
The attorney further told the court that based on what he was told, the couple had dropped off their son at the entrance to the court, but instead of going inside, he diverted.
Champagnie said the parents became suspicious of Sutherland’s movements and drove after him, but he managed to elude them.
“Based on what the surety is saying, the routine would be that they would drop off the accused at the entrance of the court, and then they would move the vehicle to the parking lot and then would come across after while he registers at the entrance,” the lawyer further shared.
The DPP, who had asked Justice Leighton Pusey to issue a bench warrant, questioned the situation.
“The surety and her son were supposedly on [their] way to the court’s office. One wonders what could have happened why the surety is here and her son is not here,” she stated before Champagnie shed light on what he had been told.
The DPP also questioned whether the surety would return if she was allowed to leave.
But the judge said that while the court would not concern itself with the investigation that the police would be carrying out, the surety would be taken into custody, given the circumstances of the case.
“I will have the surety remain with the court so that the questioning and investigation can be carried out,” he added.
Champagnie, in the meantime, asked the court to release him and his co-counsel, Samoi Campbell.
“I had every confidence that he would have been here, [but] as defence counsel, we cannot and will not countenance this situation,” he added, while insisting that this was not a part of their contractual arrangements.
“Barring some accidents or something that can reasonably explain his absence, I do not intend to continue,” Champagnie added.
Judge Pusey told Champagnie that he could not be released at this time, especially given that the accused would need a lawyer to speak on his behalf. The judge said the request could be considered at a later stage.
In addition to issuing a bench warrant for Sutherland’s arrest, the judge also ordered that the stop order at all ports be executed.
Sutherland, a father of two, was arrested and charged with murder and misprision of felony in connection with the stabbing death of the politician on February 2, 2019, after forensic evidence reportedly linked him to the crime scene.
Bloomfield was found with 26 knife wounds, including 14 stabs, by an employee at his home in Portland on the morning of the fatal attack.
Sutherland had maintained that while he was present, he was not involved in the man’s death.
However, allegations are that he and another person had been plotting to extort the politician over his alleged sexual orientation.