Prisoner found dead in cell

The lifeless body of Fitzgerald Edwards, 40, of Vance River, Guapo, was discovered around 6.30 am by two police officers who were conducting a check on prisoners.

Edwards, a father of one, was expected to appear before a Point Fortin magistrate yesterday to answer the charges.

He was described by police yesterday as a man who was mentally ill, but a post-mortem performed revealed that he died of a punctured lung consistent with injuries to the chest and back with use of a blunt instrument.

Police said they have ruled out foul play in Edwards’ death because of the fact that there were no marks of violence on the body. Edwards was found lying on his back on the concrete floor of the cell. Investigators said the body bore a bruise on the face, but this was consistent with a fall.

Edwards was an out-patient of the St Ann’s Hospital. He was arrested last Friday night by a party of police officers from the Guapo Police Station. A police report stated that the station had received numerous complaints from residents of the district that Edwards was shouting obscenities. According to the report, Edwards began acting in a violent manner towards some of the residents.

The report stated that when Edwards was approached by police officers, he engaged them in a scuffle.

Police said after Edwards was subdued, the officers searched him and found a small quantity of cocaine. He was arrested and taken to the Guapo Police Station. The next morning, Edwards was taken to the Point Fortin Police Station where he was placed in a cell.

Yesterday, Edwards’ sister-in-law, Trudy Pope, 23, told Newsday that she believed that the police were involved in Edwards’ death. "He used to smoke cocaine and was mentally ill, but he was not violent. And other than that, he was healthy," Pope said.

Pope said villagers told her that Edwards was severely beaten by the police before they arrested him last Friday. She said Edwards’ sister, Annmarie, went to the station twice over the weekend to drop clothes for him, but the police did not accept it. She said the police went to Annmarie’s workplace yesterday morning, and informed her of Edwards’ death.

She said Edwards had been an outpatient of the St Ann’s Hospital since he was 17 years old. "He lived alone and he never used to trouble anyone," Pope said.

Senior policemen were up to late yesterday awaiting the results of an autopsy which was expected to be performed at the Forensic Science Centre, St James. Snr Supt Felix Nimrod, head of the South Western Division, is heading investigations.