Acting Commissioner of Police Bertram Pompey has vowed to rid the police force of corrupt and dirty police officers. The Commissioner’s promise follows the revelation last Friday that a police officer had been charged with committing a double murder – a first for this country.

Twenty-seven year old Police Constable Erikson Harris was arrested and charged on March 2, for the December 15, 2005 murders of Vonley Llewellyn and Jennine Gill(below). Their charred bodies were found in Gill’s burnt-out house.{{more}}



Harris appeared before the Serious Offences Court on Monday outside which, outraged and curious onlookers had gathered. Harris was not required to enter a plea as the charges were indictable.

He was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison until April 23 when the Preliminary Inquiry gets on the way.



At a brief press conference called by Acting Commissioner of Police Bertie Pompey on Friday at the Central Police Station, the commissioner said that Harris, who was stationed at the Calliaqua Police Station had been viewed as a possible suspect in the matter, and had been required to give an account of his whereabouts on the fatal night. According to the Commissioner, Harris was able to give a plausible explanation at the time. However, further investigations into the matter uncovered evidence that Harris had possible involvement in the murder.

Pompey said that a meeting was convened on March 1, 2006 with Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Colin Williams, Assistant Superintendent Caesar, Station Sergeant James and Investigating officer, Station Sergeant Bailey during which a decision was made to charge Harris with both murders. C.I.D officers arrested and charged Harris who was at the time on duty at the Calliaqua Police Station.



LOOKING BACK – DECEMBER 15, 2005: The house at Vila-Fountain Road where Jennine Gill and Vonley Llewellyn were brutally murdered and bodies burnt.

“We would not tolerate any corrupt and dirty cops among us, we will weed them out wherever they manifest themselves, I promise,” said Pompey. He further went on to say that, “I am shocked and angry that he was able to masquerade in the uniform as a police and I’m angry at the state of disrepute he has brought to this organisation,” he added. The acting commissioner urged the public not to view the incident as a hallmark of the police force but see it as a part of the resoluteness and commitment of the Police to “rid the force of all these rottenness”.



LOOKING BACK: One of the bodies being removed from the burnt out house at Villa-Fountain Road on December 15, 2005.

Words seemed hard to come by for Assistant Superintendent of Police, Eckron Lockhart, as he was overwhelmed with emotion by the turn of events. “I couldn’t believe it was an officer charged for this crime.”

Lockhart said this incident would be a testing time for police officers as he urged for togetherness within the force. He told the media that the police force continues to be relentless in efforts to investigate all murders.

Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lenroy Brewster said that they are seeing persons among them with the intention of criminality and that the force needs to get rid of such persons. Brewster said that he is deeply shocked by what occurred but the law has to take its course when someone is involved in criminality.