Andrew Willoughby is Convicted of the Murder of 11-year-old Daniel Matura

Andrew Willoughby

The shooting death of an eleven-year old boy shocked his family and the community back in May 2012. Six years later, the court has found that Andrew Willoughby is guilty of the murder of the former Muslim school student, Daniel Matura. The child was hit by bullets on May twenty-first as he ran across the Central American Boulevard heading to his house located in the vicinity. Matura was fatally injured by two bullets that were intended for someone else. Willoughby was targeting Brandon Taylor and Roy Felix who were on bicycles but Willoughby missed them and instead the young child was hit. A total of eleven witnesses were called to testify. Three of them, Eric Reid, George Ferguson and Sharla Cocom, told the court they saw the shooting. In the trial without jury, Justice Marilyn Williams ruled that she was satisfied that Willoughby was the gunman. He had given a caution statement admitting he had shot and killed Matura but later he said he had been beaten by the police and was promised a favour. Justice Williams rejected that statement. In trial, Willoughby told the court that at the time of the incident he was at the house of his girlfriend, Catherine Blease, from where police had detained him. The Justice also rejected his abili and found him guilty of the murder of Daniel Matura. The crown was represented by Crown Counsel Rene Montero; Willoughby was defended by attorney Leeroy Banner.