The Accused in Bou-Nehra Home Invasion Back in Court

As many as nineteen persons have been charged in connection with the home invasion of Lebanese Honorary Consul Sarkis Bou Nehra in early December 2015. In the robbery in Burrell Boom, Belize District, a number of items were stolen including guns and household items of significant value. Some of the items have since been recovered, but many have not.  The case was called up today before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith. Of the nineteen persons charged, only attorney for one was present in court; Alifah Elrington on behalf of coast guard employee Randolph Coleman. But the case could not proceed to trial because the file has not been completed. Elrington noted that the incident happened four months ago and that Coleman needed to be vindicated. The court agreed to a case management on May twenty-fifth, 2016. The magistrate also noted that not all charges can be heard at the same time; the prosecutor agreed to set different dates.  Coleman, John and Sheldon Grinage, who are related to Coleman, along with Tyrone Meighan and Brandon Baptist were the first to be charged. Kamesha Cacho, Crystal Augustine and another female were charged with handling stolen goods jointly with Meighan, Baptist and the Grinage brothers. But a number of other persons including Monique Cadle, Paula Gentle, Paul Jex Junior and Jex Senior and Jeffery Buller were charged separately for handling stolen goods.  Meighan was also charged with rape, aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and handling stolen goods. John and Sheldon Grinage along with Brandon Baptist are presently on remand at the Belize Central Prison for the recent murder of a Dangriga man in the Saint Martin’s area.  A person of interest, Crystal Augustine, is yet to be located.