One of five Barnett Street lockup escapees pleads guilty to offence

Fidel Ferguson, who escaped from police custody at the Barnett Street lockup in Montego Bay, St James in December of last year, has confessed to the crime.

Ferguson, a 36-year-old resident of Mountain View, Greenwood, St James, is to be sentenced on February 18, 2025, this after pleading guilty on Wednesday to escaping custody.

Ahead of his sentencing, Parish Judge Diahann Bernard has ordered a social enquiry report, as well as for his criminal records to be submitted to the court.

Ferguson was among five inmates who escaped from the Barnett Street Police lockup between the hours of 5am and 6am on Saturday, December 14, 2024. Ferguson was nabbed the following day.

The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) reported at the time that reports from the Montego Bay police were that about 3am on Sunday, December 15, 2024, law enforcers were summoned by residents of Paisley district in the parish after Ferguson told them that he had been shot by unknown assailants.

On the arrival of police officers, Ferguson, who was identified as one of the escapees, was seen suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated under police guard.

At the time of his escape, Ferguson was charged with larceny of motor vehicle. The matter is still subject to court proceedings in the St James Parish Court.

Of the other four escapees, Edgar Spence was fatally shot during a reported confrontation with the police in Valley Heights, St James on the same day he escaped custody. He had been charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, among other crimes.

Meanwhile, another escapee, 22-year-old Tyrese Brown of Albert Town, Trelawny, was fatally shot by the police after attacking them with a machete in the Ulster Spring area of Trelawny on December 19.

Brown was in custody on charges of murder, rape and other offences at the time of his escape.