by Linda Straker
- EC$5,000 reward for information leading to recapture of Hayden Phillip
- Team of prison and police officers from various departments has been searching
Police in Grenada have announced a reward of EC$5,000 to anyone who can provide information that will lead to the recapture of a man who escaped prison 8 days ago.
Hayden Phillip was discovered missing from the Richmond Hill Prison last Thursday and since then a team of prison officers and police officers from various departments has been searching for the convict who was serving time for robbery, and was awaiting trial for a sexually related offence.
The financial reward was disclosed on Thursday, during a news conference hosted jointly by representatives from the Prison and Police.
Assistant Superintendent of Prison Finbar Charles said that the financial reward is aimed at encouraging persons who know about his whereabouts to come forward, so that law enforcement can return Phillip to prison.
“We need the public to assist us in having him recaptured,” said Charles who gave the assurance that whatever tips provided to the police and or the prison will be investigated.
On Wednesday, Inspector Desmond Richard promised that Phillip would be recaptured despite his evading police for the last 7 days. On Sunday, Police was seen searching a community in the south of the island where Phillip was believed to be hiding.
Richard said that there are persons who are assisting Phillip and promised that once investigations can be confirmed and certain information clarified, those persons will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The penalty to harbour, conceal, or aid in the concealment of any person who has committed a crime, according to Section 383 of the Criminal Code CAP 72 (A) Volume 4 of the 2010 Continuous Revised Laws ranges between a minimum of 6 months and 5 years in prison.
“Any person who knowing or having reason to believe that any person has committed or has been convicted of any crime, aids, conceals or harbours the person with the purpose of enabling him to avoid lawful arrest or the execution of his sentence, shall if the crime is punishable with death or with imprisonment for 10 years or upwards, be liable to imprisonment for 5 years or shall if the crime is a felony other than aforesaid be liable to imprisonment for 2 years, or shall if the crime misdemeanour he liable to imprisonment for 6 months.
