Murder accused killed in jail - Family wants justice

When family members visited Christopher Hines at the Negril lock-up on Sunday, they had no idea that it would be the last time that they would see their relative alive. Now, they are seeking answers on how their family member could be killed in such a gruesome manner while he was in the confines of a jail cell.

It is alleged that Hines, who was in lock-up for more than a month on a murder charge, was stabbed by another inmate. "About one o'clock last night, I got the call that they stabbed him and he was at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital," Tracey Sutton, a cousin of the deceased, told Western STAR.

"The police told us that they had a fight, but what they are saying to us doesn't make sense. [They said] that the prisoner had access to break out a broken grille inside the cell inside the jail and sharpen it. If they are in the jail, I don't see the sense, and why is it that the Government could not fix the grille until they can break it off to kill somebody in there," Sutton questioned.

"We are very upset. It is very heartbreaking because it is very sad to know that he is in jail where he supposed to be safer, behind the Government's bar," she said.

AWAITING TRIAL

Sutton told Western STAR that Hines was awaiting trial for murder. She said that he was offered bail in the sum of $150,000, however, the family could not afford it.

"The father go to everybody trying to get somebody to bail him but he didn't get it. He told the father Friday night that he wouldn't come out of jail alive because every time them just a beat him up in there," Sutton said.

She theorises that a confrontation may have started because of the food they took him yesterday as he would constantly complain about other inmates fighting him for his food.

Now, they would like a thorough explanation of the incident to prevent it from reoccurring.

"A just answers we want at this time, not only because it is my cousin. It could have been anybody else in there so how the police could let them have something in there to kill someone?" Sutton said.

Lloyd Hines, father of the deceased, told Western STAR that his son had denied involvement in the murder that he was accused of committing.

"Mi upset and feel bad about that because mi son seh him neva know nothing about that and come die this way," he said.

"A man grant mi a favour a seh him would bail him fi mi. A did $250,000 bail bond him under [first]. This time some people say dem nah bail him and some say me affi have one $30,000 fi gi them fi bail him, but true me neva have that money, that's why him lock-up," the senior Hines said.

The father explained that his son had been released on bail earlier, but when he went to circuit court he was ordered locked up again. He was later offered bail, but his father said that he could not afford the bail bond.

"Mi feel upset fi know seh dem lock him back up and him dead cause if dem neva lock him up back, him would deh ya right now."