Hunt on for man who fled before start of MP Bloomfield’s murder trial Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

A high-level manhunt is under way by the police for Simeon Sutherland, the man charged in connection with the murder of then People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament (MP) for East Portland, Dr Lynvale Bloomfield.

Sutherland absconded bail on Wednesday.

He was to stand trial in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston for the politician’s 2019 stabbing death at his home in Portland, this after several months of delay.

However, when his name was called at least three times to come inside the courtroom in downtown Kingston on Wednesday, Sutherland was nowhere to be found.

The court was informed that before the start of court, the accused and his parents were at the office of his lawyer, Peter Champagnie.

Sutherland’s mother reportedly claimed that her son was dropped off at the entrance to the Supreme Court building, but said she noticed that he did not go towards the building.

Instead, the accused man man reportedly walked away and did not stop, even while his parents attempted to drive him down.

Sutherland’s mother was ordered by High Court Judge, Justice Leighton Pusey, to be taken into custody to pay her son’s bail bond of $800,000.

A bench warrant was also issued by the judge for Sutherland’s arrest.

Champagnie has also asked the judge to release him from the matter.

Speaking to reporters after the court proceedings, Champagnie expressed surprised at the actions of his client.

“What took place in court today is absolutely surprising, that’s the first thing, and barring any… reasonable excuse for the absence of Mr Sutherland, I would not want the message to be received that it is okay for you to have access to legal representation in the form of myself…, to take leave of the process and re-engage at a subsequent occasion time… and believe that you can have access to representation.

“It doesn’t work like that. We are a part of the justice system and it ought to be respected,” declared Champagnie.

When asked if Sutherland was set to plead guilty ahead of the scheduled start to his trial, the attorney said he would not want to say “yes or no” to that question.

He said if Sutherland is brought back to court, he would not want to prejudice the matter, resulting in members of the public being “sensitised” relative to “a course of action”.

Bloomfield was found dead with multiple stab wounds at his home in Passley Gardens, Portland on the morning of February 2, 2019.

Sutherland was arrested by investigators assigned to the Major Investigative Division (MID) days later, but after denying knowledge of the murder, was initially released by the police.

He was re-arrested shortly after evidence reportedly linked him to the scene of the crime.

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