07 August, 2008

Internet down


My Internet Goes Down and all Hell Breaks Loose. I am back on line now. No internet service between Sunday and Wednesday. And, what happens? All hell breaks loose over the internet. I start getting dozens of emails that I am unable to access or to read. I just read them today. They tell the same story.

It is all about the gunfight at the OK Coral of Island Harbour. At least, in the original gunfight, both sides were equally armed. There, the best men won. It was different in Island Harbour. Tyrone went there with no gun or weapon of any kind. All he wanted was to be paid some of the money he was owed. He had been a faithful employee. He has a wife and small child to support. And, he was not getting paid for the time he had worked. He took his wife and small baby with him. No doubt, the idea was to have their presence help to stir up some sympathy. And, how was his simple request to be paid his wages met? “Get the f*** out of my yard!” And, with that, a gun is pulled from the waist band. A shot is fired. Tyrone and his family scatter. They are terrified. They run to their car. Tyrone’s brother and sister are police officers. He knows what to do. That same Friday evening he reports the incident to the Police Station. That was the proper and correct thing for him to do.

And, how do the police respond to the report? Do they jump in one of their several vehicles and storm out to the well known house in Island Harbour? Isn’t that what they would do if the same report was made about you or me? No, my information is that they waited until Tuesday to make the arrest. They had to investigate? If it was you or me, would they wait four days before they made an arrest? Do they investigate for four days before they make an arrest every time there is a report of a gun being pulled and fired by a known suspect?

Well, at least the accused had not in the meantime disposed of the gun. You would think he would have done so. He had plenty time. He obviously did not think of it. Or, he thought he was above the law.

That was not all. Not only did the police find the gun. My information is that it was an unlicensed gun he was carrying. Presumably, the ammunition was unlicensed too. That is a separate offence. So, not only does he pull a gun on an unarmed man. He fires the gun. Not just at a grown man. He fires it in the presence of a young wife and child.

And, what is someone like him doing with an unlicensed gun anyway? What sort of example is this for our young men? Has he been showing off the gun? Are the young men of Island Harbour carrying guns just trying to copy his example, their hero?

The sad part is that now that the police have had a chance to talk to Tyrone, he may have lost his will to help with the prosecution. I am not saying there is a connection. It is just strange that, at first, he runs to the police to report a crime. Now, he is said to be no longer interested in assisting the police with their inquiries. He has had second thoughts about prosecuting. He is now saying that all he wants is his money! Is it that he was terrified at first, but now he is more terrified?

Not that there is much chance that his employer will pay him. Tyrone is only one of several creditors who are unpaid by this same individual. He is under financial pressure. That may partly explain why he behaved the way he did. He may be stressed out. But, lack of funds does not mean that Tyrone cannot get paid. There are too many family members depending on this gravy train. No way they are going to allow blind justice to take its course. I am certain that the money can be found.

I hope someone warns Tyrone that this is not his case. It does not belong to him. He has no say in whether or not to prosecute. It is not just he who was a witness. There were others present. That is all he is, a witness for the prosecution. He cannot legally tell the police to drop the case. This is a case that belongs to the public, the people, the state. If he refuses to testify as to what he knows about the commission of a serious offence, he must come in the witness box and say so, and let the judge deal with him. If he is thinking of accepting money not to testify, you must warn him. He would be committing the misdemeanour of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

He could be the only one ending up going to jail.


19 comments:

  1. I guess the Honourable Ken Harrigan is not so "honourable". - Scotty

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  2. Nicely crafted Don!

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  3. “I am a hands-on man: a man of action. Too much of talk is bull sh--!” (Kenneth Harrigan, 1994)

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  4. Penny Legg, the wife of the Governor's Staff Officer, comments on these events:
    http://tinyurl.com/5uow83

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  5. “He [Kenneth Harrigan] has learnt management from the University of Life.” (Kennedy Hodge, 1994)

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  6. “I just want to be humble Uncle Kenneth to do your work right in your backyard.”
    --Hon. Kenneth Harrigan, 1993

    Just stay out of HIS yard.

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  7. Forget the dog, beware of owner!

    Shoot first, ask questions later!

    This house protected by Smith and Wesson.

    - Stupid Redneck NRA slogans.

    Not the kind of example that Anguilla's youth need at this time.

    - Scotty

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  8. One wonders what is going on in his mind. While we are all subject to peer pressure, what sort of pressure does he live with that he thinks that this sort of behavior is acceptable.

    We are rightly concerned about his disregard for the law and for a man and his family but his failure to pay wages to his workers goes largely unnoticed. All this speaks of a man who lacks respect for the society in which he lives or is sadly detached from reality.

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  9. Somebody shoots at me and my wife and kid it would be nice to be able to return fire. For my wife to return fire for that matter.

    It's a cliche, but where I grew up, "arms control" meant using both hands.

    Believe me, an armed population is an extremely polite population. Ask anyone in Texas. Or Utah, for that matter. Rabbits fight to the death. Rattlesnakes merely bump chests...

    Besides, the good people of Island Harbour listen to country and drive pickups. An assertion of one's God-given right to defend oneself, with firearms if necessary, would seem to be completely in order.

    Meanwhile... registering bullets? Wow. Exactly how is that done? Does someone at Inland Revenue file little serial numbers on every single one? What, exactly, is the customs duty on a hand-numbered bullet, anyway?

    How about this for a redneck aphorism: "A Glock in the bedstand, an AR-15 in the closet, and a Mossberg by the door." Or is it a Mossberg in the closet. I forget now, it's been so long.

    -- A Stupid (and currently very disarmed...) NRA Redneck

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  10. Did it not occur to him to license his firearm when they (House of Assembly) approved an amendment to the firearms act; isn't it now maximum penalty of $200,000 or 5 years in prison?

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  11. Lock the phucker up!

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  12. Yes, two months ago the penalty was increased to $200,000 and/or 5 years, causing the Hon. Edison Baird to comment, "we have to be very firm with these people who feel that they can use guns and dogs to intimidate the people of this country".

    The Attorney General said that the gun crime situation then had motivated the Chief Minister to recommend the increase in penalties to “send an important signal that he was not going to tolerate a situation in Anguilla of rising crime and nothing being done about it.”

    Second Nominated Member Keesha Webster added, "Certainly our action here sends a clear message to the judiciary and I am sure one that will be adhered to in the courts.”

    None of them said that Uncle Kenneth was excluded from their comments.

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  13. Before we all jump to the conclusion that he is guilty, consider for a moment that he may genuinely have thought he was under attack. He may have some other defence, such as the gun going off accidentally. He must be assumed to be innocent until the prosecution proves him guilty. Do not let us make the mistake of asserting otherwise before all the evidence is given to the court, and the court has made its finding.

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  14. The story in Island Harbour this morning is that Kenneth gave Tyrone half the money, and promised to pay him the rest later.

    Then, Tyrone threatened Kenneth. . .

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  15. I hope the CM and Ministers view this as part of the corruption you have been preaching about. I hope the British Government are observing the outcome of this event.

    I think Kenneth should resign, but not to say that prevents the wheels of justice from churning.

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  16. A new spin emerged yesterday in Island Harbour. Tyrone, they say, tried to rob Kenneth, so he used the gun to frighten him off.

    Kenneth's cousin, retired Police Chief Mitchell Harrigan, bailed him out.

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  17. Hon. Kenneth Harrigan's case was today. I did not see any news media there. Hon Kenneth got $77,000 fine each, for having two weapons that were not licensed. Smith and Wesson not licensed since 9 years ago and a Titan Tiger which was never licensed. If he does not pay within 180 days for one charge he will spend 240 days in jail. The other charge if he does not pay within 240 days he will spend 240 days in jail. His lawyer did not want his conviction recorded so it would not hamper his travels.

    Should he still be a member of government?

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  18. As an Anguillian living abroad, I am very disappointed in our minister of government. I believe that the fact that a bullet was discharged for reasons that appear not to have been self defence, the minister should also have been fined for such action.

    Furthermore, to threaten someone in such a manner indicates that the minister should not even be allowed to be the holder of a licensed firearm. His action reflects that of an unstable person.

    I also believe that the party he is associated with should have asked him to step down from his ministerial post. His behaviour is considered an embarrassment to the party and government as a whole. It is no example to our already violent youth that feel it is honourable to own as well as use unlicensed firearms.

    This action by our minister also points to the fact that all is not well in our political arena. Too much curruption and I must admit, an ineffective oppostion that has been totally bought over by the government. It is amazing what a gift in the form of a vehicle can do to a once vocal opposition.

    In the words of my grandmother... dem give Hughes a dose a "hush".

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  19. He could have been charged with firing a gun near to the public road..

    He could have been charged with assaulting the young man with a deadly weapon.

    He could have been charged with having the ammunition without a licence.

    He could have been charged with attempted murder.

    He was not charged with any of these.

    Why?

    The fine was EC$200,000.00 on each.

    He was let off with a tap on his wrist.

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