A jury on Wednesday, February 21 ruled the prison death of Patrice Grant a suicide.

The inquest into Grant’s death in Her Majesty’s Prison at Balsam’s Ghut was presided over by Magistrate Valerie Stephens in her role as Coronor, who sheard testimonies from police and prison officials. A five-person jury was seated to hear the matter.

Testimony revealed several prison policies concerning checking prisoners in their cells were not followed, and that pages covering the time Grant died were inexplicably removed from the prison diary.

Grant’s family, who regularly attended the proceedings, said they believed the 30-year-old former police officer did not commit suicide. Earlier in the inquest, one member said the family was planning to sue the Virgin Islands Government for negligence in the death.

Speaking at a press conference days after the death, Minister for Education Andrew Fahie said he would lead an investigation into conditions at the prison. Six weeks after the announcement, a representative of Fahie’s office said there has been no report issued on the findings and said she did not know when it would be completed.

Grant’s body was found hanging from a bed sheet from his cell at the prison on December 31, 2007. Prison officials and fellow inmates said Grant was acting normally and gave no indication that he was depressed or planning to end his life. An autopsy ruled the death was from asphyxia, according to earlier police reports.

Grant was serving a 14-year sentence for attempted murder after he took hostages in the Road Town Police station and shot and wounded two fellow officers in 2004.

His attorney had said he ‘snapped’ because he was arrested the day before on domestic violence charges in connection with an altercation with his wife.

He had been given counseling before his trial in 2005, but none since then, testimony indicated. Grant had access to the resources of a new sentencing planning programme – including councilors — designed to help prisoners make the transition into freedom, a prison official said.

Family members said Grant complained to them of being mistreated in prison and said he was denied privileges like working outside the prison and access to educational advancement.

Grant was laid to rest at the end of January in the Sea Cow’s Bay cemetery. 

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