Couple Denied Bail Release Due to State of Emergency Despite Court Approval

Accused gang affiliate and scammer Doris Grant and her common-law husband Austin Underwood thought they would be headed home after receiving bail in the Belize High Court today, but tonight they remain in prison. That’s because, after receiving a five-thousand-dollar bail from Justice Derrick Sylvestre, the couple was swept back to prison under the conditions of the State of Emergency.  Their attorney, Ronell Gonzales, has coined the situation as an injustice.

Ronell Gonzalez, Attorney: “I’m infuriated for my clients to say the least. It is a very unfortunate situation. Yes, they were granted bail earlier today this morning and you know, after the granting of bail, there’s a process. The process went through and thereafter I am learning from the prison, from members of the court administration that the information being passed is that in fact the clients, my clients cannot access their bails because they are now being held on state of emergency. Apparently state of emergency documents were forwarded to the court, sometime, to the prison I should say, sometime around midday today and as such they cannot be released. I find it as an outright act of, if you want to say malice, spitefulness as we say in kriol on behalf of the police. Being aware by some mean or the other that they had been granted bail and as such they cannot access their bail because there is another hurdle yet to be crossed. Surprisingly there was no objection by the Crown this morning. Upon the hearing of these two bail applications, I say surprisingly because that is not normally the case. However, I can only assume that there was an ulterior motive behind the entire hearing and it has played out now and we see the result. Unfortunately, my clients, Ms. Grant and Mr. Underwood have to remain incarcerated now under separate and different terms.” 

Gonzales said that he has not spoken to his clients but will do so as soon as possible. Gonzales explained that he had submitted a detailed application to the court, emphasizing that both his clients need medical treatment after being shot on Sunday, June 16. Just days after the shooting, Grant and Underwood were arrested and charged with being a member of a gang. Bail was denied and they were remanded to prison until they could receive High Court bail.