Man living illegally in St Vincent wanted for murder in Trinidad
Authorities here have discovered that a Trinidadian man living in St Vincent illegally for two and a half years is wanted by homicide investigators in the twin-island republic.
Interpol confirmed the 36-year-old man who gave police in St Vincent a false name is Nekeiva Glasgow, of Upper Haig Street, Carenage, Trinidad, who fled his country in 2019.
Glasgow appeared before Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett in the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court under the name Jerome Roberts on Monday and pleaded guilty to four immigration charges. He was fined EC$300 (EC$1 =US$0.37) on each payment, which he paid to avoid four two-month concurrent prison terms, and was ordered deported.
He returned to the court on Thursday on the charge of giving police a false name and was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for one year.
In presenting the facts of the charge of giving police a false name, Sergeant Atnel Ash told the court that on Monday, the defendant was brought before the said court by Senior Immigration Officer Helen Harry, charged with four immigration offences. He gave his name to Harry as “Jerome Roberts”, and the charges were brought under that name.
Inspector of Police Noland Dallaway of the Rapid Response Unit, whose team had arrested Glasgow in Arnos Vale last Saturday, handed him over to immigration authorities and investigated the accused.
Dallaway and his team sent, via Interpol, a photo to the Trinidadian authorities who responded, giving the defendant’s name as Nekeva Alwyn Glasgow, born August 19, 1985, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. When interviewed by police, he admitted his real identity and said he “was frightened”.
In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Burnett asked Ash if authorities had any other interest in Glasgow. It was at that point that Ash said that the correspondence sent to the Vincentian authorities had indicated that homicide investigators wanted Glasgow in Trinidad and Tobago.
The senior magistrate said that having regard to the facts and circumstances, the court was imposing the suspended sentence. He explained the ruling to the defendant. In normal circumstances, under the suspended sentence, Glasgow would have been in a situation where, if he committed any crime in St Vincent during the following year, he would be jailed for nine months. However, because he is to be deported, he will not be in the country for that period.
“What you saying now? I going back Trinidad?” the defendant asked after the magistrate explained the situation to him.
“Absolutely,” Burnett responded.
“When?” Glasgow asked.
“I do not determine that?” the senior magistrate said.
“Do I have to go back in immigration hands?” the Trinidadian further asked.
Burnett told Glasgow he would be in the hands of the State until he was taken back to Trinidad.
“Come like you have been lenient with me to send me back home,” the defendant said.
“There is no place like home. Enjoy Trinidad and Tobago,” Burnett responded.
On Monday, Glasgow had told the court that he had been living in St Vincent illegally for two and a half years as he was seeking a better life after a “peace treaty signed because there was war in Trinidad”.
Mitigating on his behalf, Glasgow said he had no run-ins with the law during his time in the country.
He admitted that on August 3, 2019, at Union Island, being a prohibited immigrant, he: entered the state by boat without a passport; entered the state of St Vincent and the Grenadines other than a port of entry; entered the state by boat and disembarked without the consent of immigration officer; and knowingly and willfully allowed himself to be landed as a prohibited immigrant.
Glasgow was arrested on February 4 when police officers from the Rapid Response Unit, headed by Inspector Dallaway, found him in an abandoned house in Arnos Vale.
He was questioned about his name, travel document and purpose for being in St Vincent.
Glasgow replied: “Officer, I have no travel documents. I came here on a yacht, and I am here for two years now.”
He was detained. Senior Immigration Officer Harry interviewed Glasgow, who admitted entering St Vincent and the Grenadines without travel documents. All ports of entry were checked, and there was no record of Glasgow entering the country.
Glasgow told the court that he had relatives in Chateaubelair and Belmont and visited those in the north leeward town around Christmas.
He told the court that during his time here, he worked in landscaping and construction. He said he lived in Arnos Vale, and the people he was living with had gone overseas.
Glasgow said he came to SVG because he looked for “a better life”.
“Remember they used to have real war in Trinidad and Tobago – like men warring,” he told the court, adding that he wanted to “start from scratch” and “stay away from certain activities”.
Glasgow claimed that the person he was staying with last week had said they would assist him with the money to go back to Trinidad as he wanted to spend two months there and return to St Vincent legally and open a business.
“I never got caught up in no criminal activities in this country,” he told the court, adding that he came to St Vincent with good intention and wanted to become an itinerant trader between this country and his homeland.
0 Comment