3 men committed to stand trial for attempted murder of a cop

Karim Morris

Back to the courts; Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart has committed three Belize City men to stand trial in the Supreme Court for the Attempted Murder of Police Constable Nigel White.  The officer was shot on March twenty-sixth, 2011 and his point thirty-eight service revolver was stolen from him. Linsford Acosta, Karim Morris and Justo Lopez did not challenge the evidence against them and the preliminary inquiry ended in what is called a paper committal.

Justo Lopez

The court prosecutor is relying on several police witnesses, including White. Eighteen statements were tendered into evidence along with a medico legal form and the stolen firearm, which was recovered days after the incident. PC White was on duty at the Caribbean Shores Police Station when he was ambushed by three armed men and shot on the chest before the assailants escaped with his weapon.  Police later charged Acosta, Morris and Lopez with attempted murder while a fourth man was charge for kept firearm without a gun license after being caught with the stolen firearm.

Linsford Acosta

Magistrate Stuart offered bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars, which only Acosta and Morris met; Lopez has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison.  The trial is set to begin in the September session of the Supreme Court.