Bajan trapped in Trinidad for 4 years

The man’s offence? Possession of ten grammes of marijuana. This is the story of Shawn Worrell, 41.

Worrell, a painter, visited this country on January 10, 2013. On February 14, 2013, police raided a Valsayn house in which he was staying and arrested him, a Guyanese national and the now deceased Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis.

Worrell and Alexis were charged with possession of ten grammes of marijuana and appeared before Tunapuna Magistrate Brambhanan Dubay. Worrell, who maintained that he did not know who Alexis was and just happened to be there when arrested, was nevertheless found guilty and sentenced to 18 months in prison with hard labour.

But he was successful in securing bail, pending appeal, on April 26, 2013 in the sum of $22,000 and was able to have it reduced to $15,000 on September 11, 2013.

The court granted bail with three conditions. Worrell was to report to the Chaguanas Magistrates Court three times per week; not leave the country; and not apply for any new travel documents.

But between September 11, 2013 and press time yesterday, Worrell has not yet had his day in the Court of Appeal.

His attorney Tempu Nefertari- Moheni produced a letter from an official informing her that no appeal has been received by the Court of Appeal registry.

Nefertari-Moheni said Worrell’s appeal cannot be listed unless the notes of evidence from his hearing in 2013 was sent from the magistrate’s court to the Court of Appeal, but this has not been done and Worrell, she fears, is withering away due to his inability to find steady work.

He spoke with the Newsday but did not wish to have his picture published.

“I have no form of ID so I couldn’t get a job. I tried really hard to get a job but it just never worked out. I can’t buy medication for my asthma either without an ID.” After he was granted bail in 2013, the police handed over his travel documents to the Immigration Department. He was placed under a supervision order and made to report to Immigration every two weeks. For years, he sought a special inquiry hearing to get a deportation order with the hope of being returned to his family. Finally, on September 14, 2016, he was ordered to be deported.

“But they cannot enforce the deportation order because he is still out on bail pending appeal,” said Nefertari-Moheni.

She wrote to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in November, 2016, detailing the last four years of Worrell’s tribulations in the hopes of him intervening.

“He wrote back saying his hands were tied and it is a matter for the judiciary. He forwarded it to the Chief Justice and the Chief Justice wrote to me saying he requested the notes of evidence from the magistrate.