By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Court Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
THE captain of the migrant vessel that sank and killed 18 people last July was charged with violating his bail yesterday.
Donald Watson, 39, was previously charged with 18 counts of manslaughter. Yesterday, he appeared before Magistrate Kendra Kelly on three counts of violation of bail conditions.
It is alleged that on July 24, 2022, Watson being concerned with three other men — McKenzie Jerome, 58, Eulan McKinney, 49, and Wilbens Joseph, 37 — caused the deaths of 17 Haitian migrants (16 women and one man) as well as an unborn foetus.
Official reports indicate that around 1am on July 24, a twin-engine speed boat capsized in rough seas while enroute to Miami. Officers from the RBPF and RBDF managed to rescue more than 25 of the approximately 60 persons on board the vessel seven miles off New Providence.
While on bail for these matters, it is alleged that between March 5–8 in Exuma, Watson failed to charge his court-imposed electronic monitoring device on three occasions.
In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to the recent charges. He was again granted bail in the sum of $3,000 on condition he sign in at George Town Police Station every Thursday by 7pm.
Watson’s trial for these charges is set for April 25.
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