By AZARD ALI Friday, January 4 2008

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PEEK OF THE DOCK: A peek into the San Fernando First Magistrates' Court yesterday where police officers investigate how Dwayne Phillip was able to es...

JUST how a prisoner was able to escape from the dock inside the First San Fernando Magistrates’ Court has left both police and MTS security guards baffled.

The escape of Dwayne Phillip, 27, occurred sometime between Wednesday night and yesterday morning by cutting a one-foot by 22 inches hole in the wire mesh which seals off the dock located in the centre of the courtroom.

Phillip, who is facing a charge of larceny, has been on the run since as police launched a manhunt for his capture. The startling discovery was made after 24 prisoners were listed for transport from the courthouse on Wednesday but on arrival of the Amalgamated Security vehicle at Golden Grove, Arouca, only 23 were accounted for. ASP Gopiechan Ganga of Police Headquarters (Southern Division), told the Newsday yesterday that an investigation was immediately launched to find the missing Phillip.

At about 8.45 am yesterday when an employee went to open the large oak doors to the courthouse, one of them was ajar. MTS guards and police officers rushed in and discovered the neatly cut hole. ASP Clarence Boodram in charge of Court and Process, spearheaded inquiries and fingerprint experts were called in.

As scores of people waited outside and in the corridors, detectives searched for clues to determined how the escape was effected by the prisoner. Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington, who presides in that court, was notified upon his arrival. He was also shown the area of the dock where the wire mesh was cut.

Detectives are investigating how Phillip was able to hide, either in the holding bay cells in the courthouse basement or in the dock. A stairway through which prisoners are escorted, leads from the holding bay downstairs to the courtroom’s dock upstairs. Newsday was told that a female employee had secured the courtrooms around 1.30 pm on Wednesday and the staff left around 4.15. pm.