A parallel has been drawn between the lack of justice in the case of the unresolved circumstances surrounding Steven (Pepe) Dill?s ?preventable? prison death and the 1996 murder of Canadian teenager Rebecca Middleton.

No one has been convicted for involvement in either of the deaths, and for widow Ann-Lee Dill there has never been a court case of any description despite a 2003 inquest concluding her husband?s death while in the care of the Prison Farm Facility was preventable.

She has spoken of her disillusionment with the Progressive Labour Party, which her family helped vote into power believing them to be the party of the people but which, in the five years since Mr. Dill?s death, has yet to do anything that will bring to justice those she feels have some responsibility for the lack of care her husband received.

Father-of-two Mr Dill, 41, tried in vain to summon medical assistance for seven hours before dying of complications associated with bronchial asthma in December 2001. He had only two months left to serve at the Ferry Reach facility for drugs possession.

No criminal prosecution has ever been brought in relation to Mr. Dill?s death.

?They have not dealt with it and I?m still waiting five years later. The people who were there (in the prison) should have been charged,? said Ms Dill.

The lack of justice in both her husband?s case and the 1996 murder of Rebecca Middleton she feels is ultimately a failure of Government which damages Bermuda?s image amongst her own people and those oversees.

?The Middleton case was awful. It is the same for me, I have to deal with it every day. The PLP Government is lacking; they will fight for an 80 percent pay rise rather than get someone convicted for what they have done.

?My people put them in power. The black community put the PLP there but now they act as if they don?t want to know. They have not come to me or my children.?

Ms Dill and lawyer Saul Froomkin have been pushing to get Mr. Dill?s death investigated through the courts. A 2004 decision by the Department of Public Prosecutions ruled out a criminal prosecution on the grounds that it would not serve the public interest. As things stand, according to Ms Dill, Mr. Froomkin remains waiting for the Attorney General?s office to respond to a request regarding further legal action.

?The Government should be showing respect for the community. If it was someone in one of their own families it would have been dealt with that very day, that same hour,? said Ms Dill.

?The Middleton family have not given up and I will not rest either. Money is not the issue, it?s in here (gesturing to her heart) and I will not rest until I have justice.?

An inquest described Mr. Dill?s death as being the result of an ?absence of timely medical intervention?.

Ms Dill said: ?The evidence is still there and the people should have been brought to court. I have had to raise two boys as a single parent. They (politicians) had a debate about raising young black males. As a single parent I?ve had to raise two black males in a ghetto area, raising them because their father was taken away from them.

?I?m trying to show them that you have to obey the law but they can see that the law has never done anything for their father.?

She feels justice must be done for both her family and the Middleton family.

?As a young black Bermudian woman I demand respect. I want my case to be dealt with. It has been there for five years. What is the next step? I?m waiting for the Attorney General?s office, or the Premier?s office or someone to have this investigated. I want a meeting with someone from Government face-to-face with me and my lawyer.

?Canadians and Bermudians can see this going on. My entire family voted for the PLP because we put so much hope in them. They was supposed to be the new Bermuda, but their new Bermuda is worse.?

When Ms Dill spoke out about the lack of progress earlier this year the case was mentioned in Parliament by UBP Shadow Home Affairs Minister Maxwell Burgess who criticised Government for its lack of action regarding Mr. Dill?s death.

Premier Alex Scott responded that if any new information came to light that warranted a review of the case he would be prepared to order one.