Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander at a press conference at Police Headquarters. Photo: Dante Carrer
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander said some people charged with serious crimes last year were released on bail “within two or three months”, adding: “Something is definitely wrong with that.”
His renewed call for changes to bail laws came during a press conference in which he discussed the soaring murder rate, which has involved eight killings in 2024.
“We continue to say, and the law says within two to three years if the matter doesn’t come up in a week within that period, then he or she should be entitled to be reviewed for bail, but two to three months? That is something we really have to look at,” he said.
He also said the mother of 16-year-old Davinique Gray, who was murdered in her Nassau Village home on Saturday, was “harbouring” a fugitive who was the intended target of the murderers.
The fugitive, Gamaliel Gray, was a suspect wanted in connection with the death of Gerrad Coakley, who was shot and killed at his residence on January 2.
He said Gray was at the Nassau Village residence at the time of the incident. He suggested the incident involved gang retaliation.
“Officers had to chase him maybe a day or so because we were looking for him. He was running from the police,” he said.
“It appears though she was harbouring him. He was there when individuals shot up the house, and it was so sad that the young 16-year-old was shot. It appears as though she was aware that we were looking for this individual, and he was hiding out.
“The criminals did their homework. Someone may have communicated or seen him in Nassau Village at that residence. She put the entire family at risk, and it’s so sad that it ended up that the daughter was shot and killed.”
Gamaliel Gray surrendered to police yesterday, accompanied by his attorney.
Mr Fernander could not say whether the mother of the dead 16-year-old will be charged for harbouring a criminal, noting police expect to speak with her.
It is unclear how long Mr Gray had been hiding at the residence.
Of the eight murders this year, Commissioner Fernander said four were gang retaliation, two were domestic matters, and one was drug-related.
The 11th grader at RM Bailey High School was charging a mobile device on Saturday, two years after her father was murdered and one day after what would have been his birthday.
Earlier that day, Travis Allen was allegedly killed by Rashad “Eyes” Paul.
Mr Paul, who is allegedly on the run, is on bail for murder and was electronically monitored until he disposed of his device in a lake, according to the commissioner.
In two separate incidents, both Darrell Ferguson and Christian Johnson were killed on January 5.
On January 3, a shooting on Prince Charles Drive claimed the lives of Dino Smith and Chatere Wells.
Gerrad Coakley, who was known to police, was killed on January 2.
Mario Cash, Sr, who was allegedly stabbed to death by his son, Mario Cash, Jr, was the first murder victim of the year.
Mr Fernander called the uptick in violent crime alarming.
Comments
Sickened 4 months ago
Of course you have to charge the mother with harboring a criminal - it's a law on our books!!! It is sad that her daughter got killed as a result, but that doesn't change the facts.
Dawes 4 months ago
Why is the answer to lock people up before they have been found guilty. What we must do is make sure the court system moves much quicker. It is wrong to have people in prison for years waiting on a court case. If we could speed that up so that when people are charged they have their court case within 2-3 months the whole idea of bail becomes a moot point.
CaptainCoon 4 months ago
We need to keep those savages and human animals in jail. No way should someone be facing 5 murder charges be released on bail and arrested for committing ANOTHER MURDER!
PATHETIC!
Jail em and execute them!
M0J0 4 months ago
That mother deserves to be charged with hiding a fugitive and involuntary manslaughter.
TalRussell 4 months ago
Did the Mommy lay down and make baby Davinique ---- By Sheselve --- Yes?
ExposedU2C 4 months ago
Nothing but the usual lip service and Fernander's got just the lips needed to deliver plenty such service.
John 3 months, 4 weeks ago
The fact everyone continues to overlook is THERE NEEDS TO BE INTERVENTION IN THESE YOUNG MEN’S LIVES BEFORE A CRIME, ESPECIALLY MURDER, IS COMMITTED!!! The country needs to hear more from the Ministrr of Social Services and the Minister of Education before the Commissioner of Police. Time to be proactive and stop being reactive. Get some police ( even retired ones) ministers and pastors and social workers into the junior and senior schools and interact with these kids. Stop waiting until the police have to go scrape up dead bodies and go hunting for killers. This was not part of Bahamian culture. Use the laws on the books to dismantle gangs and discourage membership. Put services in place to help young men find jobs and otherwise occupy their idle time. Don’t hide behind the bail act ( again) as an excuse for police ineffectiveness. What is needful becomes lawful.
John 3 months, 4 weeks ago
So do you think those organizations that pushing for murderers to get bail give a hoot about Bahamians and their safety? And in the US the bail restrictions are so tight it’s like persons are on house arrest not bail
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