Late night outing sends Orel Leslie to jail

He was just granted bail on Thursday on a charge of murder for which he faces re-trial. But twenty-nine-year-old Orel Leslie is behind bars at the Central Prison at this hour, because Supreme Court Justice Denis Hanomansingh found that he had violated a condition of his bail grant. Leslie, among other things, was ordered to remain on curfew between nine-thirty p.m. and six a.m. as of making bail of twenty-five thousand dollars on Thursday and until his case is disposed of. But police officer Andre Almendarez today testified that along with fellow officers on mobile patrol on Newtown Barracks, they saw Leslie at Sit and Sip Bar around one thirty this morning, Friday. P.C. Almendarez recognized Leslie, whom he knows and says he was aware of Thursday’s events. He said when Leslie saw him he got up and walked to the ladies’ bathroom, took off his shirt and gave it to a female in the area, then left with another man through the back door to a waiting vehicle. Almendarez said he heard Leslie tell the driver to go and the driver sped off, forcing the patrol officers to set chase. They caught up with the vehicle on St. Thomas Street where Leslie was detained. Leslie, defended by Senior Counsel Ellis Arnold, insisted from the witness stand that he was at home and police came to meet him there around twelve-thirty-five this morning, about an hour before he was allegedly seen at Sit and Sip. The judge did not believe him and revoked his bail. Orel Leslie, Tyrone Meighan and Brandon Baptist are charged and were on remand for the November twelfth, 2012 murder of BDF soldier, James Noralez. They were convicted in 2015 and on appeal won a retrial. Leslie’s mother has been asked to appear in court next Friday to explain why her surety should not be confiscated due to the reported violation.