A HIGH school teacher must forfeit a $30,000 bail bond after she failed to ensure that her nephew, former Police Constable Shando King, followed his bail conditions.
King was granted bail on April 9 after he was accused of four counts of attempted murder. Authorities believe he has absconded and fear he has left the country.
His aunt, Berttina Rolle, told a Supreme Court judge that her father, who was also a surety, passed away in October.
Justice Jeanine Weech-Gomez informed her that the $30,000 cash bond she had posted for King’s bail would be forfeited to the Bahamian government.
In addition to attempted murder, King faces numerous charges: four counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, two counts of possession of an unlicensed firearm, and three counts of possession of ammunition.
He and accomplices allegedly shot and injured 23-year-old Tavarus Paul as he was walking near Exuma Street and Cordeaux Avenue on February 18. Later that day, King reportedly got into a gunfight with Inspector Marcian Frazier, PC Lenn King, and Able Seaman Decordre Glinton, as they pursued the white Honda Accord the suspects were driving. The car crashed near the Baseball Stadium on Bahamas Games Blvd.
King allegedly possessed a black .40 Glock 23 model pistol, a black 9mm pistol, 20 rounds of .40 ammunition, and 24 rounds of 9mm ammunition. He was also reportedly in possession of an additional 12 rounds of .40 ammunition.
The condition of his bail was that King was required to wear a monitoring device and sign in at the airport police station every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday by 6pm. The monitoring device was recovered on May 24, but to date, the suspect has yet to be located.
Coroner Kara Turnquest Deveaux issued an arrest warrant for King last month in an unrelated matter after he failed to appear for a court date following a jury’s finding of homicide by manslaughter in the police-involved shooting of Valentino Johnson on April 16, 2023.
Ms Rolle testified on November 6 that King is her nephew and that she had taken him to the police station to sign in on several occasions. She recalled that nothing seemed unusual the last time she took him to the station.
She said when she learned King had absconded, she called other family members and tried to ascertain his location. She insisted that neither she nor any other family members facilitated King’s evasion of the law.
Ms Rolle also presented a death certificate for her father, Christopher Bain, who had been a surety. The certificate showed he passed away on October 10. She said the family became aware of her father’s illness in May.
While Justice Weech-Gomez acknowledged Ms Rolle’s “valiant” efforts to locate King, she still found her liable for the bail bond, stating that the decision would send a strong message to the public.
Justice Weech-Gomez wrote: “It was incumbent on the surety to ensure that Mr King attended trial on every occasion he was required to do so. Ms Rolle testified that she made every effort to ensure his attendance at court and compliance with the terms of bail, but the fact of the matter is Mr King has absconded and his whereabouts are unknown. The court must ensure that members of society fully appreciate the duties placed upon them. Ms Rolle elected to be one of the sureties for Mr King. There is no evidence that she was coerced or otherwise. Of her own volition, she chose to stand as one of the sureties for Mr King.”
“I am of the view that this case warrants the bail being escheated. Despite the valiant efforts that Ms Rolle has made, the court must send a powerful message to society –– if you elect to stand as surety for bail and the defendant fails to comply with the terms of bail, there will be consequences for your failure to ensure such compliance.”
Bjorn Ferguson represented Ms Rolle in this matter, while Shenicka Carey served as the prosecutor.
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