The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
FRIDAY,
MAY 17, 2013
VOLUME 107, No.20
Anthony Hamilton’s body on its way to the conveyance which took it to the mortuary.
by HAYDN HUGGINS
Anthony ‘Scar Face’ Hamilton, who had had a string of convictions, was shot in the chest. Below: Commissioner of Police Keith Miller (right), Deputy Commissioner Michael Charles (left) and ASP Sydney Charles (back) visited the scene.
IN THE ABSENCE of an official police report up to press time Wednesday, speculation abounded regarding the circumstances in which remand prisoner Anthony ‘Scar Face’ Hamilton met his death. Reports are that Hamilton, who was remanded on charges of robbery and assault causing bodily harm, was shot and killed by police close to 11 am on Tuesday, after two police officers had escorted him, in handcuffs, from the Serious Offences Court’s holding area to a washroom of the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, located in the same building.
A question of being handcuffed One person, who was in the area, recalled hearing two “explosions”, following which Hamilton’s body was seen lying on the floor of the
washroom. An autopsy conducted on Wednesday revealed Hamilton died from gunshot wounds to the chest. THE VINCENTIAN was unable to ascertain whether Hamilton’s handcuffs were removed when he reached the washroom, located a few yards away. But, someone on the scene told the publication that following the shooting, one of the officers who had escorted Hamilton, was seen with his clothes in a disorderly state, suggesting that a tussle may have ensued. Persons claiming to be familiar with that washroom said it would be very difficult for a prisoner to escape from within, as the windows are burglar barred, dismissing the theory that Hamilton may have attempted to escape. One person, who was in the building when the incident occurred, told THE VINCENTIAN that, while Hamilton Right: A large crowd converged on the precincts of the Magustrate Court after the police cordon had been removed.
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was being taken to the washroom, he heard someone saying, “Why he behaving so?” referring to Hamilton. The person said that from where he was, he could not see what was taking place, but he subsequently heard an explosion. The Kingstown Magistrate’s Court has not been sitting for the past few weeks, as the presiding Magistrate, Rechanne Browne-Mathias, is on leave. Hamilton, also called ‘Max’, a 32-year-old unemployed man, originally of Old Montrose, was taken
EC$1.50
to the Serious Offences Court on Tuesday to be further remanded on the robbery and assault charges. However, Hamilton had not yet made his appearance before Chief Magistrate Sonya Young. He and two other prisoners were kept in the holding area on the ground floor, while the Chief Magistrate dealt with Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) matters. It was while in the holding area that Hamilton requested to use the washroom. Continued on Page 3.