Ivor Bird

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Ivor Grenville Theophulus Bird is an Antiguan businessman and the son of Vere Bird, former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda.

Bird was a high jumper and he was the last gold medallist in that event at the British West Indies Championships in 1965. His brother, Lester Bird, was also a track athlete and former champion at this competition. [1] Ivor Bird also represented Antigua and Barbuda in high jump at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. [2]

The director of ZDK, Antigua's government broadcasting system, [3] in 1995 Bird was caught smuggling 10 kg of cocaine through V. C. Bird International Airport with an accomplice, Marcus Alberto Chapman. [4] He was formally charged with possession of cocaine with the intent to both sell and transfer by Judge Mario Ducillo, and released on 50,000 East Caribbean dollars bail. [5] Having pleaded not guilty, he was represented by John Platts-Mills, Steadroy Benjamin and David Toms, Jr.; [6] despite this representation, he was convicted on 15 May 1995 following 45 minutes of deliberations. He was ordered to either pay a fine of 200,000 dollars or face two years in jail, and paid the fine shortly before the court closed; [7] he continued to serve as head of ZDK, [8]

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References

  1. ↑ British West Indies Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
  2. ↑ "Commonwealth Games Federation". Archived from the original on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Knox, Paul (1 September 1987). "For truth and right, 8 Cabinet ministers oppose Antigua PM". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc.
  4. ↑ Massiah, David (7 May 1995). "Younger Brother Of Prime Minister Lester Bird Is Arrested On Cocaine Charges". Associated Press Worldstream. Associated Press.
  5. ↑ Massiah, David (8 May 1995). "Prime Minister Lester Bird Promises No Intervention In Brother's Arrest". Associated Press Worldstream. Associated Press.
  6. ↑ "Ivor Bird's Pleads Not Guilty". Associated Press Worldstream. Associated Press. 11 May 1995.
  7. ↑ Derrick, Winston (16 May 1995). "Younger Brother Of Prime Minister Lester Bird Is Convicted On Drug Charges". Associated Press Worldstream. Associated Press.
  8. ↑ "Antigua radio station back on air after dispute with state-owned utilities company". Associated Press Worldstream. Associated Press. 26 October 2004.
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