Primus Toussaint Denied Bail, Then Freed by the High Court Weeks Before Joy St. Omer’s Killing

The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) has released a detailed timeline of events leading up to the murder of 24-year-old Joy St. Omer, as public scrutiny intensifies over how her estranged husband secured bail weeks before her death despite police objections.

Primus Toussaint, 34, who had previously been remanded on multiple charges, is now back in custody after being formally charged with St. Omer’s murder. The timeline was presented on Thursday by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Luke Defreitas, head of the Major Crimes Unit, in what authorities described as an effort to address growing public concern about the handling of the case.

According to Defreitas, the matter first came to the attention of police on February 19, 2026, when St. Omer reported being assaulted. Following an initial interview at the Anse La Raye Police Station, she was referred to the Family Court. Later that same day, she returned with a three-day interim protection order and a summons for Toussaint to appear before the court. Police officers accompanied her to the residence she shared with Toussaint, served the court documents, and assisted her in relocating to her mother’s home for her safety.

On February 24, both parties appeared before the Family Court, where the protection order was extended for six months.

However, police say the order was breached on March 8 when Toussaint allegedly assaulted St. Omer at her mother’s residence in Au Tabor. She reported the incident the same day and provided a detailed statement to investigators the following day, recounting additional incidents involving Toussaint.

Defreitas disclosed that after several unsuccessful attempts to locate Toussaint, police launched an operation between Canaries and Marigot on March 11. He was eventually found at his residence and arrested. Two days later, he was formally charged with two counts of breaching a protection order, one count of harm, one count of assault and one count of threats.

When Toussaint appeared before the First District Court on March 16, investigators strongly opposed bail. The magistrate agreed and remanded him to the Bordelais Correctional Facility.

However, in a development that has since become a focal point of public debate, police were informed on April 21 that Toussaint had applied directly to the High Court for bail. The application was successful and he was subsequently released.

“The circumstance leading to the bail, I am still looking into and will report on this at a subsequent date,” Defreitas said.

The ACP explained that the High Court judge reviewed the circumstances under which bail had originally been denied before ultimately granting Toussaint’s release after hearing submissions from both the prosecution and defence.

Further controversy emerged after St. Omer submitted a letter to the Anse La Raye Police Station on May 7 indicating that she no longer wished to pursue the matters against Toussaint. In the letter, which later surfaced on social media, she cited a lack of confidence in the justice system while requesting that the protection order remain in effect.

Just 13 days later, on May 20, St. Omer was killed in Marigot.

While declining to discuss specific details surrounding the homicide because of the ongoing investigation, Defreitas confirmed that Toussaint was formally charged with murder on May 23. He appeared before the Castries Magistrate’s Court on May 25 and was remanded into custody. He is scheduled to remain at the Bordelais Correctional Facility until his next court appearance on June 30.

Defreitas said the release of the timeline is intended to provide transparency and answer some of the serious questions raised by the public regarding the handling of the case.

The disclosure, however, is likely to fuel further debate over the granting of bail in domestic violence cases, the protection of vulnerable victims, and public confidence in the justice system following one of the country’s most closely watched criminal investigations.

The post Primus Toussaint Denied Bail, Then Freed by the High Court Weeks Before Joy St. Omer’s Killing appeared first on Saint Lucia Daily Post.