A serial burglar who the police dubbed the 'Phantom', and who confessed to targeting upscale communities for the past 15 years, will have to spend time in prison while nursing a broken leg.
This after he recently tried to escape from lock-up at the Kingston Central Police Station.
Information reaching THE WEEKEND STAR is that a little over two weeks ago, the prisoner, 36-year-old Garfield Roper of an upper St Andrew address, managed to get free from his cell while police personnel were conducting a routine check of the facility.
With a number of policemen, and at least one policewoman hot on his heels, Roper is said to have attempted to further distance himself from those who gave chase, by scaling a fence.
His escape attempt would, however, cause him to beg for help from the same persons he tried to outrun and outjump, as he reportedly fell from the fence and broke his leg.
"Di man mek a mad run and nearly get weh to eno. A jump him jump one a di perimeter fence dem and broke one a him foot dem. A suh wi ketch him back," a corporal from the police station told THE WEEKEND STAR.
One piece a excitement
"Yu waa see di police dem back a him a run him dung ... . One piece a excitement dung yah di day," an ancillary worker added.
After receiving medical attention, Roper was hauled before the court where he was sentenced to one year in prison, in connection with the stunt he reportedly pulled.
Days after his failed escape attempt, Roper was slapped with a murder charge in connection with the death of 41-year old Chinese businessman, Raymond Wong Chowonn, who was killed on September 24 last year at his St Andrew home.
Reports are that Wong Chowonn was at home when thieves entered through a window and proceeded to use a piece of metal to hit the businessman over the head several times, before taking two blackberry cellphones and a laptop computer.
Wong Chowonn was later pronounced dead at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
THE WEEKEND STAR learnt that Roper admitted to the murder some time after being nabbed by detectives from the Kingston-based Flying Squad in October.
Roper also admitted to being behind an excessive amount of break-ins at homes in St Andrew including Barbican, Mona, Hope Pastures and surrounding communities.
"A ton load of burglaries in these area have been cleared up since this man's arrest ... . It's amazing how long he has been breaking into people's homes before finally being caught," a senior cop from the Kingston central police said.
