Trio Acquitted of Firearm Offences after Foiled Kidnapping Attempt

Jamaal Tablada

Three men were acquitted by Justice Adolph Lucas of three counts of firearm offenses in relation to an alleged would be kidnapping back in 2010. But two of them will have to face a jury of nine for other offenses.  Earlier today, Judge Lucas directed the jury to acquit Tevin Abraham, Jamaal Tablada and Jarreth Usher of charges of preparation to a crime, kept prohibited firearm and kept prohibited ammunition. But Abraham and Usher will have to answer to charges of kept prohibited firearm and ammunitions since they were found in possession of additional firearms.  The men were accused of going equipped on August second, 2010 to commit a kidnapping when police intercepted a vehicle with the trio. Police found two pistols with live and prohibited ammo, mask, cap, B.D.F. uniforms, dug tape, GPS, underwater flashlight, cable ties, compass, transparent gloves, and a nipper in the vehicle they were travelling. The trio was also charged with keeping a prohibited firearm in respect of a HK-91 rifle.  This morning, Judge Lucas instructed the jurors to acquit the men of the three charges upholding submissions by their attorneys Senior Crown Counsel, Ellis Arnold for Jarreth Usher, Bryan Neal for Tevin Abraham and Dickie Bradley for Jamaal Tablada on the grounds that the evidence brought before the court was not enough to substantiate the charge of preparation to commit a crime. Neal explains.

Bryan Neal

Bryan Neal, Attorney for Tevin Abraham

“We had made no case submissions in respect of submissions for a crime matter. The allegation was that the three accused, four of them….one of whom is now dead, were going to Ladyville to kidnap Honorable Patrick Faber; that is what was alleged in some statement that was summarily dismissed by the judge. And on that basis, the no case submission was upheld and they did not have to face the charges for the preparation of crime. My own view is beucase of the personalities involved; in fact if you read the statement…it is a matter of public record now, it was disclosed in court; the statement mentioned several ministers including Boots Martinez, Patrick Faber. So I think based on the persons who were alleged in the statement, but there was never any evidence that they were going to kidnap anyone. We were surprised the statement wasn’t released until after the case started and we made strenuous objections against that statement because of the allegations being made that there was a confession. There was no confession in writing so we objected. They are saying that .all three at different times confessed to a police officer in Belmopan. That never happened and on that basis that wasn’t entertained by the learned judge and rightfully so.”

Jarreth Usher

A fourth person, taxi man Floyd  Davis who was found driving the taxi the men were travelling in, he was gunned down before the trio was committed to stand trial at the Supreme Court. Davis was ambushed and shot and killed not too far from his house in Hattieville. Late this evening, the jury found Abraham and Usher not guilty of prohibited firearms and ammunitions. The decision was unanimous and Abraham was the only one taken back to prison since he is serving a five-year jail term for robbery of which he has four months more to serve.