Court summons surety, as man misses court date

The person who signed the EC$50,000 bail bond for Gershon Calvin Cole-Woods will appear in court today, Friday, September 8, to explain certain things to Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias.

Cole-Woods was expected in court last Monday, but made no appearance. A bench warrant was issued for the accused and a surety summons for the person who bailed him.

Cole-Woods is charged that on May 5, 2017, at Kingstown, he had in his possession one .38 Taurus revolver, serial number 542285, and on that same day and place he had 15 rounds of .38 ammunition, both without a licence issued under the Firearms Act.

Cole-Woods’ absence from court came on the heels of detectives at the Calliaqua Police Station launching an investigation into the disappearance of the Belair resident.

Last week, Sergeant Rochelle Smith of the Police Public Relations Department told SEARCHLIGHT that a relative of Cole-Woods reported that they had not seen the 36-year-old for some time.

Cole-Woods was required to report to the Calliaqua Police Station as part of his bail conditions, but he has stopped reporting and relatives fear the worst.

Lawyer Grant Connell told the court on Monday that Cole-Woods has never been absent for a court appearance and he always reported to the police prior to the missing person’s report being filed by his family.

Connell said the police have launched an investigation and the court must be informed, because it may be physically impossible for Cole-Woods to show up in court.

He said some officers operate “like square pegs in round holes,” as his client’s disappearance, and the fact that he has been reported missing and an investigation launched, should have been reported to the court.  

Connell said the surety was present at court on Monday and has always been in contact with Cole-Woods, but has also indicated that he no longer answers his phone.

Police officers in the courtroom on Monday whispered among themselves that certain information leads them to think that Cole-Woods may have been murdered.