Nation outraged after elderly man spends 40 years in prison, dies without trial
The
story of a now-deceased 81-year-old man who spent about four decades
incarcerated without trial has rocked the nation.
The
story came to public attention after the Independent Commission of
Investigations (INDECOM) shared details from its quarterly report on Wednesday
(June 3).
The
damning report has sparked outrage with some calling it
“heartbreaking” and “gut-wrenching” particularly as they
saw photos of his condition prior to his death, covered with bedbugs,
known colloquially as ‘chink’.
According
to the report, 81-year-old Noel Chambers was incarcerated on February 4,
1980 and had been in lockup for about 40 years without trial until his death in
2019. He was initially charged with murder.
The
report further highlighted that there was confusion over whether Chambers was
ever convicted as he was described as “unfit to plead”.
“The
Commissioner of Corrections in his report to INDECOM states that “Noel Chambers
was tried and convicted in the Home Circuit Court on February 4, 1980, for the
offense of murder. He was deemed unfit to plead and was held at the
Governor General’s Pleasure,” read the report.
“However,
in the Commission’s respectful opinion he could not have been unfit to plead
and convicted. Indeed, his commitment document by the Home Circuit Court
has the words ‘guilty of’ struck out and replaced with ‘unfit to plead’,”
added the report.
Even
more alarming is the deplorable conditions Chambers lived in while in prison
which was described in the report.
Not
to mention the near incredulous state Chambers was in prior to his death.
The
report reveals that at the time of Chambers’ death, he was covered with what
appeared to be vermin bites, live bedbugs (‘chink’), and showed signs of having
bed sores.
The
report further revealed that he ultimately died from acute pyelonephritis,
“a sudden and severe kidney infection”.
It
is these photos from the post-mortem that struck the greatest chord with
Jamaicans, some of whom called the images the worst they had ever seen.
The
report also disclosed that Chambers’ family along with a human rights
attorney made several attempts to have his case heard in court, but their
efforts proved futile.
“In
time, his family grew disheartened with the process,” added the
report.
INDECOM
has said that the death of Noel Chambers has lead the
commission to initiate a wider enquiry into conditions under which persons
unfit to plead are being held at correctional institutions across the
country.