Jury acquits Benguche of attempting to murder couple
Lenny Benguche
A jury of nine men and women today acquitted Lenny Benguche of two counts of attempted murder. But the jury was deadlock on a charge of maim and a retrial was ordered. The not guilty verdict was handed down late this evening following two and a half hours of deliberation. Benguche appeared unrepresented before Justice Herbert Lord in the Supreme Court where he testified that he did not shoot at the couple, Kareem Young and Cristina Zetina. While Benguche admitted to being at the scene of the shooting he stated under oath that he was only in the area drinking with his friends. The jury found him innocent of both charges of attempted murder but was deadlocked in a decision on an alternative charge of maim. News Five spoke with Florencia Zetina.
Florencia Zetina, Sister of Shooting Victim
Florencia Zetina
“Well at this moment we are very disappointed with the verdict because my little sister passed him and looked him right in his face and just a matter of one minute, two minutes, turned around; was shot and turned around and saw him shooting the rest of the bullets. And she said all of that in the court so we are very disappointed with the verdict at this time. Well at this moment, we are anticipating a guilty verdict for maim that would be able to send this guy who shot my sister and changed her life forever where he belongs, to jail. And we hope that we can get a guilty verdict and once and for all give her justice. That is all we are seeking. She came here with the strength of her youth to testify against Lenny Bennett Benguche. She came here not with revenge in her heart or hatred in her heart but just to seek justice.”
Justice Lord ordered that the retrial be held in the next session of the Supreme Court where Benguche will answer to a single charge of maim. The case against Benguche dates back to January 2008 when he was accused of shooting twenty-one year old Christina Zetina. Benguche, it is reported, was jealous of Zetina’s relationship with her boyfriend Kareem Young and on several occasions threatened his life. The incident occurred on Egbert Quilter Avenue in Ladyville while Zetina and Young were riding a bicycle to work. According to Zetina they were approached by Benguche who opened fire on them. During the shooting Zetina was caught in the left leg which eventually had to be amputated to save her life.
I believe it was Peter from the show Family Guy who once said that only fools who are not smart enough to come up with a good excuse to not do jury duty end up doing jury duty.
This seems to be the case here.
It’s real hard to see these days that criminals do their deeds and walk away scot free. One would want to blame the lawyers for making the criminals get off the hook. Well this one neva have a lawyer. Remember that the jurors are humans just like you and me. We are loosing spirituality. The Holy spirit is leaving this earth. We have lost faith in the justice system. Lets not loose faith in Jesus. The only hope though that all this is a sure sign that Jesus is soon to return to this old earth and take His followers with Him. There will be no bettering of this situation in Belize and around the globe. Lets not put our hope in man.
I am confused, we finally found witnesses willing to testify & the perpetrator walked. Can someone ask the jurors if the problem was the victims’ credibility or were they intimidated?
WHAT MORE COULD WE EXPECT FROM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM? ITS A REAL SHAME WHAT IS GOING ON IN BELIZE ,PUT BENGUCHE TO LIFE IN PRISON SEE YOUNG ZETINA WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN THE REST OF HER LIFE? the only thing left is to set this criminal FREE”.what a SHAME !!!!!!!!!!!
somebody please answer my question:
How can he be tried for maim, they already found him not guilty of attempted murder.
Are they saying yes he did fire the gun but he wasn’t trying to kill them?
i ask the same thing Jessica. If he’s not guilty of attempted murder then he’s not guilty for maim. and we ask again, under what conditions did the jury found out that he’s not guilty???
Very very strange indeed. But remember that the Jury are ordinary people and they are tasked to decide whether or not someone is guilty beyond reasonable doubt, and that decision cannot be made with gut feelings or perception, that decision has to be backed up by evidence presented during the case. I’m baffled however, did the persecutor present a poor case??
Alot of times we BLAME THE LAWYERS, BUT THERE ARE JURORS THERE TOO, FOR CRIMINAL CASES. IF SOMETHING WAS SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN TO ME, I DEFINATELY WOULDN’T WANT THEM TO BE MY JUDGE.
ALOT OF THESE CASES ARE “COMMON SENSE” BUT, COMMON SENSE ISN’T COMMON ANYMORE. HOPE HE GETS CONVICTED FOR LIFE THIS TIME.
we need to start take the justice in our own hands like guatemala,mexico,aand other countries, make the people unite and burn them till death………it …. me off what is going on with our justice systen……….its a sad veridict against mrs. zetina she was expecting justice to be made now the jurors came out with ‘NOT GUILTY OF ATTEMPTED MURDER” MAIM???????? COMON PLZZZZZZ THIS IS A REAL DISRESPECT TO THE ZETINA FAMILY.
I this the DPP should resign or be fired because of this. They can make a charge stick with a living talking and declaring victim much less with a murder charge. It is not only about putting BDFs on the street but also about having some good prosecutors
THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN BELIZE IS AS BROKEN AND ONE SIDED AS THE GOVERNMENT. YOU HAVE A YOUNG LADY THAT IS LEFT DISABLE FOR LIFE, POINTING OUT THE CRIMINAL, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HE IS, THAT SHOT HER AND THE JURY LET HIM WALK. THAT’S BELIZE JUSTICE AT IT’S BEST.
Dam! you cant win for loose,what de hell is wrong with my country,who de hell is doing the screening of these juror’s,are some of us just so stupid,to make the right decision’s.Seem there is just no hope for my country,can’t trust your childhood friends,can’t trust your neighbour’s,can’t trust the police,and now can’t trust the legal system,f****** unbelieveable.What de hell do they need?for u to come back from de dead,all bloody,and say who did it?Jesus christ,when will it end.
The jurors in this case are just as ‘bright’ as the Magistrate who sat over the case of the policewoman ( a courtroom staff ) who claimed that she sustained an assault which resulted in a miscarriage, a month after having a previous miscarriage.
this guy should be slashed and burned for this crime. He will come rite back into society and try to kill someone else. its high time belizeans come together even if they have to lynch a couple of these dogs to make the rest get a keen sense of whats going to be allowed and whats not. I say we should hang them high.