Inmate refuses to eat prison food

One defence attorney is seeking to have her client's nutritional needs met, as he has rejected the food being offered at the correctional facility at which he is incarcerated.

It was shared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday that the accused, Okeefe Langreen, is being housed at a correctional facility in St Catherine, but a recent incident there has resulted in wardens and senior officials restricting food being brought from outside. Langreen was reportedly in the cell in which the incident happened.

"He had not had food nor snacks from the outside since last Thursday. There is food offered at the facility, but, Your Honour, it is not palatable," the lawyer submitted.

"I think it might have been a security measure. There is no representative from [the facility] to even explain what is happening, I would need to hear something more substantial before I make an order," Parish Judge Leighton Morris informed the lawyer, instructing her to get additional information and to engage the officials at the facility.

Langreen is to be sentenced for robbery with aggravation, following an incident on May 5. It is reported that the complainant went to an ATM and withdrew $600. As she was about to exit, Langreen approached her with a ratchet knife and robbed her of her handbag, which contained an iPhone 7, a Samsung Galaxy cell phone, a wedding ring valued at US $10,000 (approximately J$1.5 million), a white gold watch, a gold necklace, bank and identification cards, as well as $7,000. All the items were recovered except the watch and bank cards.

Langreen was to be sentenced yesterday, but did not appear before the judge in front of whom he pleaded guilty. He was remanded in custody until October 10, as the social enquiry report that was requested is also not ready.