The mother of Simeon Sutherland, who was taken into custody after he last Wednesday absconded minutes before a court appearance to answer charges for the 2019 murder of former People’s National Party Member of Parliament Dr Lynvale Bloomfield, has been released.

Sutherland’s mother, who was the surety for his $800,000 bail bond, was ordered to be taken into custody by Supreme Court Judge Leighton Pusey “until arrangements are made in relation to the bond” after her son fled.

The Jamaica Observer was reliably informed that the sum was paid over the very evening and the mother released. In the meantime, however, investigations ordered by Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn, King’s Counsel, into possible attempts to pervert the course of justice in respect of the Sutherlands.

There has, however, still been no information on the whereabouts of Sutherland, to date, deputy commissioner of police in charge of crime Fitz Bailey told the Observer.

Sutherland, for whom a manhunt was triggered, is facing charges of murder and misprision of felony in connection with the stabbing death of Bloomfield, at his Passley Gardens home in Portland on February 2, 2019. Sutherland, who had been granted bail by the parish court as part of his bail conditions, was residing with his parents.

Last Wednesday morning, Sutherland with his parents in tow, after meeting with his attorney Peter Champagnie, King’s Counsel, was reportedly en route to the Supreme Court where the trial was to begin when he disappeared after exiting their vehicle.

Champagnie told the court that according to the account from Sutherland’s mother, “the routine would be that they would drop the accused at the entrance of the court and they would move their vehicle to go and park and then come across while he registers at the entrance [at the Supreme Court]”.

“This morning, what obtained based on what the surety is saying, is that the routine was the same as before save and except when they dropped him off at the entrance of the court he did not come inside the court yard, he went southerly and as a result of that, they thought it suspicious, drove him down to speak with him but he made his way,” the attorney told the tribunal at the time.

Champagnie has, in the meantime, declared that he has no intention of continuing to represent Sutherland and sought leave of the court to be released from the arrangement.

Justice Pusey, at the time in ordering that Sutherland’s mother be taken into custody, had said she would remain in the custody of the court until “arrangements are made in relation to the bond”. He said those arrangements may not necessarily relate only to the immediate transfer of the funds.

Meanwhile, officials at the island’s sea and airports were placed on high alert for the accused for whom a stop order had been in place.