Kurt Rabsatt, a burglary suspect who was arrested on Jan. 17 after allegedly escaping from police on Dec. 18, was placed on remand last week until at least his plea hearing scheduled for today.
According to Magistrate Jack Husbands, Mr. Rabsatt was charged with escaping lawful custody and burglary for allegedly burgling a resort while on the lam, although the prosecution said that at least four additional charges are likely to be laid against him.
After Mr. Husbands read the charges, Crown Counsel Kristain Johnson read the allegations, explaining that he he would “defer statements” until after the plea because burglary is an indictable charge.
On Dec. 17, Mr. Rabsatt escaped from a holding cell at the East End Police Station, and continued to flee despite officers shouting at him to stop, Mr. Johnson alleged.
These allegations differed from those in a Jan. 18 statement from the Police Information Office, which alleged that Mr. Rabsatt fled from a police vehicle while being escorted into the station.
Explaining the second charge, Mr. Johnson alleged that on Jan. 16, Mr. Rabsatt entered a room at Lambert Bay Beach Resort with the intent to steal, though he did not say if Mr. Rabsatt stole anything from the property.
The prosecutor said Mr. Rabsatt is a 35-year-old unemployed Virgin Islander, though Mr. Rabsatt countered that he is actually 36 and works as a landlord.
Bail withheld
Mr. Johnson objected to bail, but Mr. Rabsatt, who was unrepresented, said that he should be granted bail, arguing that he did not escape but that the police let him go in front of the station.
He also told Mr. Husbands that he was not on bail at the time of his earlier arrest, and that he feared for his safety in Her Majesty’s Prison, as he claimed that inmates including those implicated in the murder of Nickail Chambers were his “enemies” and might try to attack him.
“If you send me to prison, I want to be on a protective wing or something; I don’t want to be close to these guys,” Mr. Rabsatt said. “I just want to be safe.”
Although Mr. Husbands said Mr. Rabsatt made a convincing case, he ultimately decided to remand him based on the charges against him.
“It would be a bit incongruous to admit [the defendant] to bail” given that he is accused of escaping from police custody and committing another offence, Mr. Husbands said.
However, he set another hearing for today to give Mr. Rabsatt time to find a lawyer and improve his submissions, and said he would personally call the prison superintendent to explain Mr. Rabsatt’s security concerns.