By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A BAHAMAS Department of Correctional Services inspector testified yesterday that he found an inmate unresponsive in his cell in 2021, as the murder trial of Diallo Williamson continued before Justice Jeannine Weech-Gomez.
Williamson is accused of causing the death of 29-year-old inmate Mikhail Miller at BDCS on November 1, 2021.
Inspector Denzil Beneby, who was the principal officer on F Block on the day in question, said he had instructed officers to remove slop buckets from cells when he was alerted to an incident in cell F2. When he arrived, he saw Miller lying on his back at the rear of the cell with three inmates present, including Reno Blanche and Williamson.
Inspector Beneby said he called out to Miller and checked for a pulse. When he asked the inmates what had happened, they all responded that they did not know. He said he then secured the scene by placing the inmates in adjacent cells before requesting a medical orderly and Dr Hasting Johnson to examine the body. Police later arrived to process and photograph the scene. A photograph shown in court depicted the deceased shirtless and wearing light-coloured trousers.
Under cross-examination by Dorsey McPhee, Inspector Beneby denied asking Williamson to check Miller’s pulse. He said he had been informed of the incident by Dwayne Lockhart, who was on bottle duty that day.
The officer said wellness checks are conducted each morning and inmates are able to report any medical concerns. He told the court he did not know Miller had a mental health condition until after the incident.
Mr McPhee highlighted what he said was a discrepancy between Inspector Beneby’s statement and testimony, noting that the officer wrote that he called Miller by name but testified that he had only called out to him. The inspector responded that he did not know the deceased’s name at the time and had simply called out.
Inspector Beneby said he had no knowledge of any allegation that the defendant moved the body, adding that he could only speak to what he personally observed.
The prosecution is led by Gary Rolle III and Kara Butler-White.
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