A shocking incident at Barbados’ Oistins Magistrates’ Court has sparked an official internal investigation by the country’s prison service, after high-profile murder defendant Nigel “Bounty” Pinder was filmed dragging himself across the ground from a prison transport vehicle into the courthouse last week, Barbados TODAY can exclusively confirm.
Pinder’s attorney, Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens, revealed that her client had been involved in a traffic accident earlier this month while traveling from prison to a court hearing. Following the crash, a medical professional ordered Pinder to remain confined to a wheelchair for mobility. Mitchell-Gittens told reporters that she initially dismissed noise outside the courtroom as routine activity common around judicial buildings, until she noticed Pinder seated on the ground inside the dock. The accused indicated to his lawyer that prison staff had denied him access to a wheelchair for the journey and refused to assist him into the courthouse, forcing him to drag himself across the pavement to attend his hearing.
“This treatment is unacceptable. No person should be subjected to this kind of treatment, no matter what charges they face,” Mitchell-Gittens said in court after the incident. She added that she had already sent formal letters to Prison Superintendent DeCarlo Payne and Home Affairs Minister Gregory Nicholls, calling for a full explanation and accountability for the incident. As of Thursday, Payne confirmed he had not yet received the correspondence.
In an official statement to Barbados TODAY, Payne confirmed that the matter had been formally brought to his attention by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and he has ordered a full, comprehensive report from all personnel involved in the incident and Pinder’s transport. Payne explained that the finalized report must be submitted to his office for review, and he declined to comment further on the details of the incident until the inquiry is completed. “Any comment I make before the report is finalized would be premature and not rooted in confirmed facts,” he said.
When asked about existing protocols for transporting inmates with limited mobility, Payne noted that under standard operational procedures in recent years, inmates who are unable to move independently are not transported to court appearances without proper accessibility arrangements. “If an individual requires a wheelchair, we make all necessary arrangements to ensure that person can attend court safely and with dignity,” he stated.
The incident has reignited public discussion in Barbados over prisoner welfare standards and correctional service transport protocols, with advocacy groups calling for the probe to result in tangible policy changes to prevent similar mistreatment going forward.