Committal Proceedings for Former Prison Officer Postponed Amid Prosecution Delays

The committal proceedings for Dwight Peters, a former prison officer charged with murder, have been postponed until next year due to the prosecution’s unpreparedness as the case file is incomplete.

Peters appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Dexter Wason at the St John’s Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The 36-year-old resident of Ovals was remanded to His Majesty’s Prison during his last court appearance, as magistrates cannot grant bail for a capital offense. However, through his attorney, Wayne Benjamin Marsh, he successfully obtained bail in the High Court a few days later, on September 25.

Peters is currently out on $80,000 bail, which did not require a cash deposit, but he had to provide two sureties to sign for him.

Previously, Peters was detained by police while trying to leave the country for a sporting event, and as a condition of his bail, he had to surrender his travel documents.

He has been instructed not to leave the country without written permission and must report to the St John’s Police Station three times a week. He has also been warned against any interference with the prosecution’s witnesses.

Marsh raised initial concerns about the safety of Peters and requested that he not be housed in the prison facility known as 1735. However, Marsh noted that the prison was providing adequate care for his client.

Peters stands accused of causing the death of 26-year-old inmate Ricknaldo Isaac from Bendals, following an altercation in late April that left Isaac paralyzed from the waist down.

Isaac, who had epilepsy, passed away in May due to complications from his injuries while awaiting surgery at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.

Peters’ arrest and subsequent remand led to protests among his fellow prison officers, who initiated a go-slow at His Majesty’s Prison, arguing that it was unfortunate Isaac was “not a model prisoner.”

The next committal hearing is scheduled for February 27 next year. Peters served nearly a decade as a prison officer before being transferred shortly after the incident.