Bail Approved for Student Who Allegedly Took Firearm to School

A 15-year-old student at Clare Hall School has been granted bail in the High Court after an incident involving a firearm on the school’s campus.

Justice Tunde Bakre, who heard the bail application on Tuesday, released the boy on $15,000 bail with two sureties and no cash deposit.

He also ordered the teen to surrender all his travel documents to the court immediately. The judge also mandated that the student report to the All-Saints Police Station thrice weekly until his trial.

Additionally, Justice Bakre ruled that the 15-year-old must reside with his mother until the completion of his trial, and that he is prohibited from having any direct or indirect contact with witnesses or interfering with the ongoing investigation.

The incident occurred on Friday, September 27, sometime after midday, when an alarm was raised after the teen was allegedly seen in possession of a firearm on school grounds. This prompted Clare Hall School officials to immediately place the institution on lockdown for several hours, during which students could not leave the campus.

Police arrived at the scene and conducted an extensive search, but the weapon was not recovered. The teenager was taken into custody the same day and subsequently charged with illegal firearm possession.

The youth was initially denied bail, first by the Child Justice Board and then in the High Court, as the prosecution expressed concerns about his release. However, Justice Bakre later approved a second bail application.

The court had previously ordered that the teen be relocated from His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) to a secure residential facility, in accordance with the Child Justice Act.

However, this relocation was reportedly delayed, leading the teen’s lawyer to write to the Attorney General expressing concern over the lack of counselling, vocational, or educational support being provided to the student while in custody.

It was against this backdrop that the successful second bail application was made, granting the his release under the specified conditions.