A Dominican accused of being a major drug kingpin and who was arrested in England has been granted bail while at the same time, British authorities have refused to extradite him to Guadeloupe.
Curtis “Shakes” Richards, of Newtown, was taken into custody at Gatwick International Airport in the UK last year and identified as the supplier in a major drug bust in the French island on Sunday June 2, 2013.
At the time of his arrest, Richards was described as “the subject of a European arrest warrant” and was expected to be handed over to French law enforcement.
French authorities had also made a formal request for extradition.
But in a recent court appearance, Richard’s attorney, Ben Cooper, spoke of the inhumane conditions of French jails in the Caribbean arguing they are overcrowded, dirty and infested with animals such as rats, toads and cockroaches.
According to Cooper, inmates do not have access to educational or recreational facilities, are confined to cells and are victims of violence and excessive punishments.
British district judge, Quentin Purdy, agreed pointing out that although there are no independent inspections of prisons in the French West Indies, court findings in France show there are problems with French jails.
“Those findings speak of the ‘wretchedness’ of the premises and reveal ‘an affront to human dignity’ with promiscuity resulting from overcrowding,” he said. “I cannot be satisfied the human rights, in both Guadeloupe and Martinique, will be honoured.”
After the ruling, Richards was released on bail.
During the drug bust last year, five Dominicans and one Guadeloupean were arrested and 46 kg of cocaine, 60 kg of cannabis, three shotguns, a large quantity of ammunition and 91,000 Euros were seized. Those arrested are now serving jail time in Guadeloupe.
When Richards was arrested in England, he was described by Guadeloupe police as “one of the biggest, if not the biggest supplier, of drugs between Dominica and Guadeloupe and some one who had contact with the South American (drug) sector.”
Richards is not new to law enforcement.
In November 2010, he, along with Andy Prosper, was cleared of murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges.
The two men were arrested and charged for the triple murders of Mannison ‘Shabin’ Thomas of Fond St. Jean, Kenneth ‘Kamala’ Birmingham of Kings Hill, and Allan Bardouille of Newtown.
The bullet riddled bodies of the three men were found drifting off the coast of Salisbury in a boat belonging to Richards on November 3, 2009.
Was the judge name pilate? looks like he washed his hands on that one.
Is Shakes a British citizen? The judge seems to be protecting Shakes to stay in England. Why should he be concerned what conditions Shakes (a foreign national, I presume) will face in prison in a third country? That’s a real caring judge. I would think he would want that problem out of England.
Hate dominicans keep hating.. more grudge. Suit allu self……
Don’t let Mr go it time that he fill what the guys are filling in there. He is out there rich and filling alright. Let him come down to gwda that man
y are we saying welcome home? isnt he on bail and should remain in england until his case has been called. i know when you are on bail you cant leave the country unless you serve ur time or you won ur case not while you on bail.
Judges Decision is final. so nothing you all say can and will change that. If the man was to go church and said he change his life all you would still have things to say. Let He/She without sin cast the first stone…. I Know that he will teach others not to walk the path he walked.. Ras Shakes you will be persecuted by a lot of people but i know that won`t bother you a bit, so go out there and make that change. Be a soldier for Jah.
Stop sending hate and learn how de man teachin us about our rightrights stuoid pple
tell them police in dca stop call authorities in other islands when Dominicans are travelling and these things wont happem
Free d man
I am not against shakes nor for him. The french gov’t are only presuming that he is a drogue dealer.Why did’nt they arrest him if they had any proof …Now shakes is as quiet as I am,we think,we make researches or in other words we inform ourselves…Shakes knows that the best country to come and hide is the u.k because the u.k criminal justice has a strong will to bring forward ” the human rights theory “.You can be one of the biggest criminal in the world you have an 80% chance to be protected from another countries justice once you pass through the airport.
Dominica gov’t likes begging other nations for help ,france could have made them work on extradition laws in order to send shake to guadeloupe and the police in guadeloupe most times take the law into their hands becuase they know very well that the dominican gov’t is too weak to protect their citizens as usual.
shakes good luck ….bless england who encourages vice in the name of human rights….
I am confused. From reading the comments it seems that he was freed. Did I not read released on bail?????
lesson taught lesson learned! I hope our judges and lawyers will understand why they should not be too quick and incline to extradite people to overseas particularly the united states where conditions are even worst.
Shakes must have given up some big-time names…More to come. Just wait. Behind the story always have another story.
Y should the other be taking jail in an inhumane prison while the papa is free total biasness
U see, u all negative please e eople are just fake. As soon as the man reached at his door step, don’t even have time to meet his family, not even to visit his daughter grave. But first thing, you all that saying negative things are the ones who knocking at his door for money, he will still give it to all you. His a man who giveth, that’s why ras will always prosper,becahse his burning red hot coals on all you head.b
@ tri-state beauty, we all have to put water in our wine, u are no example here. When ras come back, he will show u how he can travel more than you.
god in control be strong
“The events in our lives is what shapes us, but it’s the choices we make that define us.”
“We cannot despair of humanity, since we ourselves are human beings.”
Maintain strong Mr.Richards and who so ever else in the struggles.
Only……and Only The Father Can Judge Us!
Its not about obeah my brother. It’s all about praying. The way u all seeing ras, dats not how jah looking at him. Jah has no preference. Jah loves all his children my brother. Wat jah do for one he does for the other. All of u all looking at ras like a drugs man, but jah have him as his son. Who have glass windows papa, don’t throw stones. Bless up shakes
All of u all that talking negative about ras, if police would make a rade, they would get drugs all under your beds when u have glass windows don’t throw stones. Ras is a bless man and you cannot touch the annointed. Where ever he go his blessings travels with him.
If the Judge ever sees the inside of Dominica’s jail he will write a book.
I don’t think so Tony. He would be speechless not able to talk because he would be gagging. You remember some years back our baroness Scotland sign an agreement with Ian Douglas for Dominican people convicted in England to spend their time home at Stock Farm instead? I never hear anyone making that choice. Would you? No cornflakes at Stock Farm for breakfast.
well is so i want to have my connections even in the international scene man can find a way out
All the lawyers like Shillingford, Wilshire, Bruney, Alleyne and Behanzin who claim to be fighting for justice, now have an avenue to vent their dissatisfaction relating to the conditions of our jail. Wilshire should be at the forefront trying to make contact with attorney Ben Cooper and British district judge Quentin Purdy , because he has had the most experience as regards to lawyers, who once lived under those conditions.
DNO, do you have any information on the bail conditions? Is he free to go (travel) as he please? can he come home any time form now? If he is allowed to leave England, can the French government make an extradition request to the government of Dominica? Remember government must not only appear to be tough but they must actually be tough on time. “Shakes’s favorite party here is on the record accusing government of being soft on crime.
I think the man should b released, because he was never caught trafficking any drugs.
lol.
where there is smoke you find fire.
Calm down people! prison is a place to reform people and not to punish Only Christ judged and punished. He must have done the other side a favour so they return the complement.happy for you mr.Shakes
I wonder who is the bigger criminal? You call Shakes Mr, yet you put no handle to the P.M’s name. If this is puzzle to be solved, then my interpretation is that the P.M should resign to save his face.
if the judge can say that about Guadeloupe and Martinique jail, I wonder what he will say about ours… de man talking about luxury, education and recreation…
dem white people mad..
Sorry, Honourable Judge but a government with scarce financial resources cannot afford to use such resources to build luxury hotels to house merchants of death and other criminals.These people have destroyed whole societies and in the name of human rights you expect Governments with meagr resources to build Ritz Carltons,Hiltons and Hampton Inns and Residences for these people? Rigt Honourable judge i don’t think so. If i may quote one of our past calypso kings, The Hurricane, ” Drugs is murder and murder is against the law”. So your honour i rest my case and in closing let me state without any reservation that i have absolutely no sympathy for drug dealers large, medium or small. Thank you your Honour.
so every body in stock farm jail should be bailed then.
‘dem white people’ ?
Hmmm what I finding with people like Shakes is that they feel invisible. What were his reasons for traveling to England to begin with? To me after “walking” on that case in Dominica a man like Shakes should chill permanently, but they say in Dominica “wat vente blanc..” when rat want to die is so they running up and down in people foot making beykekek. On top of that did the lawyer reference “library” and Shakes in the same breath? Ask him for his library card for the library on his doorstep Newtown. I hope you put water in your wine and chill once and for all, should you be sent back to Dominica, everyday isn’t Christmas.
your point is?
U do not know what his point is?The man is living a reckless life
I don’t understand. Does that mean that there are no inmates in any of those jails. Why does this one man stand tall above the rest.
And so, the leaders always seem to escape; whether in Dominica or abroad. But one day it will come to an end. It can be on the A.M or it can be on the P.M.
Shakes don’t come back Skerrit will give you up to Guadeloupe.
The Government should hand him over to the French authorities upon touch down. The French authorities should be waiting for him. They should start the extradition process in motion all now.
Free up d man
u mad man
Because u adore him , he is ur god
Yes I wat the lawyer want a mansion for him to be comfortable thats the ting the British cells to Damn COMFY
Where they want send him, the hilton.
my point exactly! When you go to prison it’s a punishment not a dam vacation. Everyone else in Guadeloupe serving their time in those conditions why he can’t serve the same place? stups
His lawyer is arguing for human rights and others speak of reform; yet many of our young men will never have the privilege of reform nor of someone arguing for their human rights. They have been blasted into eternity through this drug trade. Justice delayed is not denied.
Released on bail……I guess nothing wrong with a littlle drug trafficking…
I was just wondering..why can t DCA officials hand over him to the French…when he is sent to DCA just call the French to pick him up or drop him on the police boat
the shameful thing is that with all the crimes some Dominican guys committing in gwada and when one considers how much aid the European union id giving to Dominica, we do not have an extradition treaty with the french. yet we want to go there without visa. politics my people politics. for example if a french man comes here and murders your child and returns to his french country . hmmm, you might as well forget about it. that is why the kidnapping case in tarish is going nowhere at the court.
Newtown and All Nations should have a celebration!
pop some bottles
.u Dominicans ..this is Europe people has to be extradited to a situation where the party human rights has to be honored.this is very serious..You cannot extradite a person to a country where a formal inspection of human rights conditions is not done especially in jail situations..its called the law..so is not obeah..let’s educate our self and read what the judge said ““I cannot be satisfied the human rights, in both Guadeloupe and Martinique, will be honoured.” The extradition clause would have clearly stated that..if he was sent and this contract was not honored. Shakes could Sue England because extradition goes hand-in-hand with the Human rights Act..that shakes lawyer is very smart..people can be smart without obeah..
Mannison ‘Shabin’ Thomas of Fond St. Jean, Kenneth ‘Kamala’ Birmingham of Kings Hill, and Allan Bardouille of Newtown, who is to blame for all these kilings de pm or the drug men. 20 years ago we never had those murders.
These jack Brits and their judicial system are just a damn joke. Prison should be all off those things that the lawyer described all for good reasons…… “you go once and you will be sure not to return”
apparently you have never been. Pray and hope you never go. Ever. jus remember shit happens in life and what you wish for others may just land on you.
We all pay for our sins. and yes… i have many
Hmmmmm something a gwan welcome home? Mmmmmm
well, well, well…….
Yes sah……anyway I know this has nothing to do with the Privy Council but this is a clear example of why we need to get rid of the PC as our final Court of Appeal quick quick quick…these English Judges just don’t get it!!!
idiot
They must have mawa that magistrate…..mama all y dcans have power
Welcome home Bro !
Hope you change your life..One Love.
where will he change his life there?