Neesa Gopaul saga… Small’s wife banned from prison

Jan 27, 2011 News

Prison authorities have instituted an indefinite ban on the wife of murder accused Jarvis Small from visiting him in prison.
The ban was imposed on Marceline Small on Monday after she was reportedly caught trying to smuggle a cellular phone into the prison.
But although, the woman was detained by prison officials and later handed over to the police, another woman, Anastacia Melville, was charged with the offence. Marceline Small has denied that she knowingly tried to smuggle the prohibited item into the prison.
According to police correspondence, around  09:00 hours on Monday, Assistant Superintendent  Pilgrim, the Operation Officer at the Camp Street Prison, reported to the police that a woman was caught with a cellular phone at the Prison.
Detective Constable Gouveia was sent to investigate, the correspondence indicated.
“During the investigation Woman Prison Officer Graham reported that she was the Supervisor at the number 34 desk, when Marceline Small went to take self support for her husband, Jarvis Small.”
She was asked to display the items she had brought and according to the Prison Officer, Small took out two loaves of bread.
She immediately stated, “Don’t worry with one of the bread,” and she put back one of the bread into her bag.
However, the Prison Officer became suspicious and took possession of the bread that Small had put back into her bag. A check of the bread revealed an E 71 camera phone.
According to the police, Small was told that she is under arrest and it was at this stage that she told prison officials that a woman had given her the items to be given to a prisoner.
Small was escorted to the Alberttown Police Station, where police contacted one Anastasia Melville.
Melville admitted that she had indeed given Small a loaf of bread containing a cellular phone to deliver to her husband, Jarvis Small, who in turn was to hand it over to another prisoner, whose name was given as Rawle. Melville was cautioned and arrested and subsequently charged.
She pleaded guilty and was fined $25,000.
But Small is concerned about the negative publicity reports of the incident have given her. She claimed that the reports are jeopardizing her job.
“I was the person who helped the police to find the woman who gave me the item. I don’t know why I’m being labeled as the one who was knowingly committing a crime,” Small told this newspaper. Small said that she is devastated by the ban, claiming that she will support her husband to the very end.
“I have spoken to the Mr. Small (Officer-in-Charge of the Georgetown Prison) and the Director of Prison. They will permit the food to go in to my husband but I cannot see him,” Small told this newspaper.
She added that she made attempts to meet with Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee but was unsuccessful.