Shooting victim’s testimony prompts guilty plea from accused

Freddy grant

Leon Blease

A Belize City fisherman, thirty-five year old Freddy Grant, was shot seven times and lived to tell the tale. And it seems Grant told it so well in court today that the accused gunman retracted his not guilty plea and pleaded guilty. The case against twenty-five year old Leon Blease started out with charges of Attempted Murder, Use of Deadly Means of Harm and Grievous Harm before Justice Herbert Lord in the Supreme Court last Friday. Grant did not testify then and told the prosecutor that he would not take the stand out of fear. But this morning Grant was persuaded to testify and painted a vivid picture of the shooting on September seventeenth 2008 when he was shot twice in the cheek, stomach and back and once in the head. Three of those bullets are still lodged in Grant’s face and he could not speak very loudly but he told the court that at eight o’clock that night he was at Red House Bar on Vernon Street drinking with a friend when Blease entered and interrupted their conversation. According to Grant, he had spit on the floor and Blease got upset because he did not have on any footwear. Blease was told to leave and he did, but not before threatening to shoot Grant, who left the bar. While he waited for a taxi, Blease drew his gun, shot Grant to the face and edged closer. Grant tried to grab the gun but was shot on the head and to the body as he headed over the bridge. He was rushed to the hospital and underwent several surgeries for the bullet wounds. After Grant’s testimony, Blease pleaded Guilty to Use of Deadly Means of Harm and Justice Lord deferred sentencing to April thirtieth. Both men are currently behind bars because Grant was found guilty of Robbery in 2009 and was sentenced to five years and Blease is serving two years for Burglary.