Freeport, Grand Bahama — We are monitoring the hoopla unfolding in a Grand Bahama court where a pastor was found guilty of raping a 9-year-old girl early this year. The case was set for sentencing yesterday, but the defendant’s jackass lawyer failed to appear.
Such events are fast becoming the norm in courtroom theatrics here in The Bahamas, as lawyer for E. Randy Fraser did the same, and got sentencing stalled for a few more weeks.
A pastor, 59-year-old Albert Alexander Whyley, sat bewildered looking in the court as his attorney, Carlson JACKASS Shurland’s whereabouts became unknown.
Now get this, Whyley was to be sentenced where after two months ago he was found guilty of raping a young schoolgirl. The incident occurred at his Grand Bahama home.
Justice Hartman Longley stalled sentencing as every attempt was made to contact JACKASS Shurland. Both office and cell lines of the attorney never picked up and so, the Crown sat in limbo while Justice was being hijacked.
While there was no DNA evidence presented in the case, a guilty verdict was handed down after a doctor’s report confirmed the events took place.
The crime took place this year February 6th and with the hard work by the AG’s Office, the trial was complete in less than a year.
Jackass Shurland failed to show up to court, Whyley refused to proceed without his attorney and therefore, Justice Longley penned sentencing for November 22nd, 2011.
Readers should interestingly note this is not the first conviction of its kind over the head of Pastor Whyley. According to court records, Whyley was convicted in 1993 to serve a 14-year sentence for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor; however, he successfully had the Court of Appeals reduce his sentence to five-year imprisonment.
There is something terribly wrong with justice in The Bahamas, for when CHILDREN are raped, assaulted, massacred and killed in this country, the damn system refuse to holler and exercise its powers.
To this, we at Bahamas Press are always reminded of the words of Derek Walcott, a prolific writer of the Diaspora, who penned the words, “Justice is an invention of the devil!”
Pastor Whyley rapes a child for a second time and cannot be sentenced because his Jackass lawyer fails to appear in court. Bishop E. Randy Fraser cannot find out his fate in a child sex case after being accused of the crime since 2005. Fraser’s matter proves that for five years a magistrate delayed justice for that victim over and repeatedly. We are sick of it!
Jackass Shurland was also the attorney for convicted pedophile, Andre Birbal.
Well it’s not like Defense Attorney Carlson Shurland could arrive from across the ocean as if it were in the same county on the same island just an hour away. And like said- such events are fast becoming the norm in courtroom theatrics in The Bahamas, as E. F. did the same. It’s not the attorney, it’s the geography.
WHICH ONE OF SHURLAND BETTER HALF IS HE TALKING ABOUT CAUSE I UNDERSTAND HE HAVE 3 OF THEM; 2 RIGHT HERE IN GRANDBAHAMA 1 IS HIS EXGIRLFRIEND AND THE OTHER ONE LIVE SOMEWHERE IN FLORIDA AND HIS HOUSEKEEPER KNOW THEM ALL; ASKING ALL 3 OF HIS BETTER HALFS IS A WASTE OF TIME CAUSE HE GAT THEM BRAINWASH TO SAY AND DO WHAT HE SAY
HOGWASH!!! MR. LAWYER
WHICH ONE OF SHURLAND BETTER HALF IS HE TALKING ABOUT CAUSE I UNDERSTAND HE HAVE 3 OF THEM; 2 RIGHT HERE IN GRANDBAHAMA 1 IS HIS EXGIRLFRIEND AND THE OTHER ONE LIVE SOMEWHERE IN FLORIDA AND HIS HOUSEKEEPER KNOW THEM ALL; ASKING ALL 3 OF HIS BETTER HALFS IS A WASTE OF TIME CAUSE HE GAT THEM BRAINWASH TO SAY AND DO WHAT HE SAY
Sick with Flu on the day of sentencing hey? But these Men who hid behind the pulpit and rapes minors, they will all have there place in the lake!
Mr Carl,
Chile you have time to respond to people. Bahamians are too judgemental, and love to make assumptions without getting all the facts.
People will still talk even if you had turn up saying you defending a rapist.
You don’t owe any one an explaination!!!!
This is how the legal system gets constipated. Lawyers play the system. All too often in the courts lawyers find ways to bog the system. Judges are not, in some cases tough enough on these lawyers and sometimes these judges can’t be because of procedure protocols.
If I was the judge that day I would have kept the prisoner there ALL DAY if necessary until the lawyer appeared.
Cases get put off, put off and put off, going for years and then they get dismissed because witnesses cant be found, cant remember, exhibits lost or mislaid, officers cant be rounded up to give evidence…Family Island courts are especially JAMMED and CLOGGED as S&C Magistrates visit twice a year or less! and then put off and put off –cause lawyers cant be present etc….then magistrates can be re-assigned and cases need start all over. Its a mess. The system needs help.
To the writer of this comment it is unfortunate that you should write something about me when you do not have the facts. If you check with the Attorney General’s Office in Freeport you will see that from Wednesday 9th Nov 2011 I informed them that I was sick and had an emergency so the sentencing would have to postponed. If you had check with the Hon Justice Chamber you will see that I made over 15 phone calls to the Clerk of the Justice Mr. Clayton Pratt and spoke with him about my illness, if you check with my Housekeeper and better half they would have told you that I was in bed sufferring from the flu , if you check with my Assistants they would have told you that I was in and out of office from Wednesday, So that fact that I did not show for Court 1 day because I was very ill makes me a “Jack Ass” fine, Someone like yourself who have no appreacition for medical emergency, I would ask God to forgive you and hope and pray that you never in this life experience the joints pain headaches, stomach pain etc that I was experienceing last week. Take care Carli S.
You had the flu eh? On the day of sentencing. That coming from a lawyer. Not saying you are wrong, not saying that you are right, but it does seem suspect.
Don’t worry though, you can delay justice… but you can’t delay the judgement!
Better luck next time sir, tricks are for kids. And as for big grown men touching kids, your client will soon learn his faith where he will get an extended vacation from the gospel at Fox Hill’s “Holiday Inn”!
Comments are closed.