KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – For 12 years, Louie Cupid, 46, was a prison officer at Her Majesty’s Prisons, responsible for, among other things, preventing inmates from escaping.
However, on Tuesday, he went to the prison, not as a guard, but as an inmate.
Her Majesty’s Prisons is expected to be his home for the next one year and 11 months, after the Chief Magistrate, Recahnne Browne, imposed the sentence as his punishment for helping an accused murderer escape from the same prison in September 2019.
The Chief Magistrate found Cupid guilty of two charges in connection with Veron Primus’ first escape from prison. In handing down her verdict at the Serious Offences Court, Browne said that having heard the evidence, “it was clear that the management at Her Majesty’s Prisons left much to be desired.
“That poor management affected all areas. The defendant was part of that management team,” Browne said as she found Cupid guilty of the charges that between September 29 and October 2, 2019 he abused the authority of his office by conspiring to aid the escape of Primus from lawful custody.
He was also charged that between September 24 and October. 2, 2019 he agreed with Primus on a course of action would lead to his escape from lawful custody.
Cupid was jailed for one year and 11 months on one count and one year and six months on the other. The sentences will run concurrently.
During the trial, Cupid chose not to give evidence. (CMC)