Attorney Criticizes Delay in Inquest Into Death of Jamaican Inmate at Antigua Prison
Attorney Wendell Alexander is calling out what he describes as an “unjustifiable” delay in convening a coroner’s inquest into the death of Jamaican national Chinley Robinson, who died in prison under suspicious circumstances earlier this year.
Robinson, who was remanded in December 2024 on a charge of stealing a $400 cell phone, was found unresponsive in his cell in January 2025. Superintendent of Prisons Trevor Pennyfeather told Antigua News at the time that initial findings suggested Robinson may have been strangled. A subsequent post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as anoxia, trauma to the neck, and cardiac failure.
Alexander, who represents Robinson’s family, said the continued silence from authorities has left relatives “in the dark for months” and damaged public confidence in the justice system.
“I think I have a problem with the length of time that these coroner’s inquests are taking,” Alexander said. “Matters which have become cause célèbre should be dealt with expeditiously and let the chips fall where they may.”
He said the delay not only prolongs the family’s grief but also undermines trust in law enforcement. “It diminishes the public perception of the police,” he added, urging authorities to consider assigning additional magistrates or coroners to handle the backlog.
Alexander noted that in other cases, he has had to seek High Court orders to compel the convening of inquests after as long as five years.
Robinson’s death has raised broader concerns about oversight at His Majesty’s Prison, where he was reportedly sharing a cell with another inmate believed to be the prime suspect. That prisoner has since been released. Pennyfeather said the facility locks down at 4:30 p.m. with hourly checks, but admitted that incidents may not always be immediately detected. He said recruits are now receiving additional training to strengthen prison security.
As of now, there has been no official update from the Coroner’s Office or the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda regarding when the inquest will be held or when findings will be released.
Police Commissioner Everton Jeffers previously stated that the matter remains under investigation and that decisions on further action will be guided by the outcome.
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The world has come a long way when it comes to human rights and equality in treatment, but Antigua is still stuck in the past of mediocrity.
What is for thee is not for me, but I hope more people like you Mr Alexander come forward and continue to fight for these rights, not just sit on the sidelines and run their month, but do things to affect change in Antigua.
Preferential treatment is still a blatant miscarriage of justice in Antigua.. everyone knows it, and everyone sees it.
We got to stamp out this type of blatant corruption and nepotistic behavior if we are going to move forward or be taken seriously as a nation, or a powerful one as Gatson Browne claim we are.
We all know if that was a prominent person, this would have been taken care of most expeditiously. The same for the Chantel case, the Manny case, the 18 year old that just got killed by police, and the list is endless.
Equality must be a thing across the board, and inspite of how much we fight for women rights, men are the ones who are mostly in the cross ears of these types of gross negligence of this injustice and unfair treatment. How many times have you heard the term ” he deserve it” instead of understanding the trauma that many faces after making a simple mistake as steeling a self phone.
Sad sad place to live is Antigua..every time I visit I see the heavy weight on the people.. Antiguan’s don’t even smile much anymore.
The joy of the jovial Caribbean culture has been sucked out that place. I saw it in the youth eyes when I visited back in 2020 and predicted this current mayhem, but many didn’t listen and did nothing. And now look where we are, with one of the most broken justice system in the entire peaceful Caribbean, where the government have to come up with propaganda stories that Antigua is one of the safest places to live .pure hogwash.
Sad sad sad.
You are the reason why i dont trust the police sir/ man
This could all be a paid killing and that’s why the young man was released. You charge a man because of a cell phone, and then kept him in prison because of a missing passport now his only freedom and flight is to eternity……. Considering the young man was released and the police has no trace of him, what happens next?
What was expected?? This is Antigua and there’s no care unless you’re more like up there or know people up there. They released the young man who murdered Chinlee when by rights, given they were in the same cell, they should’ve held the young man until the post mortem came back.
These delays always make people question the integrity of the system. The quicker the inquest, the more confidence the public will have.
I wonder how wendel can deal with all these cases without having a mental breakdown. Just thinking out loud
If there’s nothing to hide, then why the delay? An inquest should have been held months ago.
Honestly I had forgotten about that case until now. Another one gone to eternity without justice. Antigua Nice
What are you trying to say?
I find I seeing too much of this man in the news. He not getting enough publicity as it is?
He like Pompey. only seeing all the wrings after the leave the service
@juju.
Isn’t that what lawyers are paid to do, see the wrongs?
In fact I would even disagree with you here, that in truth he’s actually seeing the right here and doing the “Just” thing.
But then again, I don’t expect any accountability from you Gatsonites.
What a pity.
While the concern for justice and human rights is fully understood and must always remain central, there are two important legal and diplomatic contexts that must also be taken into account in this matter.
Firstly, if the deceased gentleman was remanded due to the absence of valid travel documents or a missing passport, then the authorities would have been unable to officially verify his identity. That lack of identification immediately complicates the process from both an immigration and legal standpoint.
Secondly, for an inquest to proceed, the presence or input of a recognized next of kin, family representative, or the relevant consulate from the individual’s country of origin is generally required. There is currently, no Jamaican Consulate in Antigua & Barbuda. In the absence of these, eithout a birth certificate and proper documentation identity the hands of local authorities are tied, as any procedural step taken without proper verification or representation could violate due process or international diplomatic norms.
While it is right to advocate for timely justice, it is equally vital to recognize that when a case involves a foreign-born national, elements of diplomacy, local legislation, and police investigation protocols intersect. Each must be respected to ensure that justice, when served, is also legally and procedurally sound.