…pending doctor’s advice
Having finally been captured after evading Police for six years, murder accused Carlton Blake was taken to be arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday. 
He was, however, ordered to be returned to the isolation unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) after Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan became skeptical about tolerating a person with a contagious disease not only in her courtroom, but to dwell among the general prison population.
Blake remained in the holding area while medical staff from the hospital appeared before the chief magistrate to explain that the prisoner is suffering from tuberculosis and diabetes. As such, it was recommended that he should not be kept in a populated area in the prison, hence he is being held under Police guard in the isolation unit at the GPHC.
Magistrate McLennan has indicated that doctor’s advice will be sought as to when the accused would be ready for arraignment in court on the charges he faces.
This decision was made in consideration of the welfare of the public and the risk to which Blake would expose the prison population.
In December of 2011, Blake was allegedly involved in a robbery which left Cleveland Smithet dead and two others injured at the Black Sand Five Star Backdam in the North-West District (Region One).
Reports indicate that the deceased, in the company of his brother and another miner, was on his way out of the mining area when the travelling party was accosted by gunmen who demanded gold. Not satisfied with what they received, the men fired shots at Cleveland Smithet, killing him, even as they proceeded to discharge bullets at the others who attempted to escape, injuring them.
Blake was reportedly identified as one of the suspects, but he had been on the run since the incident. He was recently nabbed by Police. The matter has been put down to December 4.
