COP CHARGED
Corporal faces court for prisoner joyride after inmate allegedly taken on unauthorised home visit
Published:Wednesday | September 13, 2023 | 12:12 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
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A detective corporal who reportedly took an inmate out of jail and allowed him to stay home for a week, has been granted bail in the sum of $300,000. Corporal Ricardo Rose, who was assigned to the Half-Way Tree Police Station, was offered bail on...
A detective corporal who reportedly took an inmate out of jail and allowed him to stay home for a week, has been granted bail in the sum of $300,000.
Corporal Ricardo Rose, who was assigned to the Half-Way Tree Police Station, was offered bail on Friday in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on charges of misconduct in a public office and aiding and abetting escaping custody.
Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque ordered that he report on Wednesdays at the Bridgeport Police Station in St Catherine and surrender his travel documents, as part of his condition for bail.
According to the allegations which were outlined in court by the investigator, Rose took the inmate, who was being held at Kingston Central Police lock-up in downtown Kingston, out of custody on various dates.
The court heard that, on the last occasion, the inmate had been out for a week and was allowed to stay at his home. Rose reportedly made checks to ensure he was home and travelled there in marked and unmarked service vehicles.
ALLEGATIONS
Rose reportedly took the inmate from custody under the guise that he was transporting him to the Half-Way-Tree lock-up for interviews in relation to a fraud investigation.
According to the investigator, the prisoner was discovered missing after checks were made about his whereabouts following a bail application. At that time, the Kingston Central police reported that he was at the Half-Way Tree Police Station lock-up, but, when checks were made, personnel reported that he was not there.
The prisoner was subsequently taken back into custody.
An investigation into the matter was launched and a file was prepared and sent to the director of public prosecutions, who ruled that Rose is to be charged.
But Rose, in his defence, reportedly indicated that he had taken the prisoner to use the bathroom when he escaped.
During the bail application on Friday, attorney-at-law Orville Morgan strongly denied the allegations against his client while maintaining that the prisoner had escaped custody.
Rose is scheduled to return to court on November 8.