Also in court today, a woman took the rap on charges of possession of controlled drugs for marijuana that was found inside her neighbor’s house. But the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions rejected the guilty plea for on the lesser charge. That means that thirty-three year old Janice Lynch and John Michael Fitzgibbon, […]
It’s a most unusual, in fact from we know, the first time that the court of appeal was convened over an entire weekend and as early as six o’clock in the morning. It is also a first time that the court is being sought to stop the Governor General from enacting a law. The legal […]
The appeal session was to start at eleven-thirty this morning, but was quickly moved up to eleven o’clock. Senior Counsel Denys Barrow assumed charge of government’s argument before the full Court of Appeal bench. Jules Vasquez “You made the argument in court that now that the full court is convened, the temporary injunction should be […]
At a quarter to six, the attorneys came out of the Court of Appeals. Denys Barrow, the government’s lead attorney on the case said that it all boils down to two p.m. on Tuesday. At that time the court should have made a decision since the injunction expires at four p.m. Denys Barrow, Attorney “The […]
The attorneys for Ricardo Castillo and Vaughan Gill are holding onto what pundits believe is a shoe string before justices Dennis Morrison, Manuel Sosa and Duke Pollard. They faced a tough day in the Court of Appeal, but Godfrey Smith says the case is good for democracy. Godfrey Smith, Attorney “The injunction is in place—that […]
Sixteen year old Justin Teck came within inches of death after he was shot to the head on September twenty-seventh. Almost a month later, the teen is recovering and today, twenty-one year old Michael Gladden was charged along with twenty-eight year old Mark Gentle for their alleged connection with the shooting. They appeared before Chief […]
Another minor has been sexually abused by a man she knows and trusted. This time, the victim is an eleven year old primary school girl, who alleges that she was molested by her stepfather. His name is being withheld to protect the child’s identity, but today the forty-two year old step-father, was charged with Aggravated […]
As we said earlier in the newscast, the House meeting in Belmopan was delayed somewhat this morning because of a ruling by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin in respect of an injunction sought by Vaughan Gill and Ricardo Castillo who were among twenty-one thousand persons who had signed the petition for a referendum on the ninth. […]
Remember U.H.S.? That’s the acronym for the former Universal Health Services hospital. But the name U.H.S. will forever be linked to the huge national controversy over whether the government should have guaranteed the U.H.S. debt to the Belize Bank. In 2007 the issue ignited U.D.P.-led demonstrations in Belmopan that erupted in the stoning of the […]
Michael and Diana Mechling of Ohio came to Belize on a one day cruise in February. But their visit to the Jewel ended in tragedy when the couple went snorkeling at Goff’s Caye and Diana was slashed by the propellers of the tour boat. She was severely injured on her lower body and bled to […]
The trial against Danny Anderson for the senseless murder of nineteen year old Joyce Mitchell will go to trial in the Supreme Court. Mitchell was shot on the head as she sat on the back of a vehicle in June 2010. A preliminary inquiry started this morning before Chief Magistrate, Anna Marie Smith, where Anderson […]
The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet at ten a.m. on Friday to pass the controversial Ninth Amendment Bill following the prescribed ninety-day consultation period after its introduction in the House. An hour prior to the sitting a ruling will be delivered by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin on that piece of legislation. The proposed […]
The GSU conducted a raid at the apartment of Albert Talbert, also known as Cat, early this morning on Maskal Street in Belize City. Cat was seen disposing of a plastic bag which the GSU claims contained cannabis. The unit also found a small amount of cannabis in the apartment but their biggest find was […]
Police officer, Luciano Jaime Pena is before the courts for a charge that is not common in Belize. The complaint against Pena was made by his wife Ruby Pena, who found out that he also married Olga Leticia Guzman Vasquez. This morning the first witness to testify was Ruby, who has been married to Pena […]
The land dispute between businessman Jitendra Chawla and Ricardo and Sheila Escalante over a half acre plot being occupied by the couple in the Krooman Lagoon area near mile two on the Western Highway was heard in the Supreme Court this morning. The Escalante’s had filed for an injunction halting the issuance of a title […]
A cruise ship tourist was busted with marijuana he allegedly bought after he arrived in the old capital. Twenty-two year old Tech Support employee, Irvin Ashante Conner, a US Virgin Islands national, was busted with one point two grams of marijuana when he was searched by police at the Belize Tourist Village. Around three this […]
Two men were today charged with Handling Stolen Goods in the courtroom of Magistrate Dorothy Flowers. They appeared separately, but both charges were in connection with the recent robbery at US Imports on Cleghorn Street. Thirty-eight year old taxi driver, Randolph Audinett, pleaded not guilty and was released on bail of one thousand, five hundred […]
In court today, an associate of the Ghost Town Gang was charged in connection with a shooting incident that occurred on August tenth. Nine shots were fired at thirty-one year old Nelson Kareem Bowen, who was at his home on Sibun Street. He was fortunate to only be hit once on the thigh. Since then, […]
Around twelve-thirty this morning, police busted a vehicle with four parcels of marijuana on Vernon Street. A pick-up truck driven by San Ignacio resident, Leslie Grinage was stopped where police discovered the stash underneath the vehicle where the spare wheel is kept. Also travelling with Grinage at the time was nineteen year old Mario Cunil […]
The fate of twenty-two year old Arturo Ek, who was found guilty of murder in November 2007, remains in the hands of a panel of three Court of Appeal judges. Ek’s application follows a conviction and a subsequent life sentence which was handed down by Justice Michelle Arana in July of last year. The Corozal […]
Thirty-one year old Daniel Ku was sentenced to life imprisonment for the December 2006 murder of his common-law-wife, thirty-two year old nurse, Anna Basto in Orange Walk. Basto was stabbed thirty-two times and her throat was slashed three times; a heinous crime that Ku confessed to committing. Still, Ku appealed the decision and today the […]
The mystery of a missing container that was reportedly loaded with pseudoephedrine tablets remains unsolved and today, the last of three accused Customs Officers was acquitted of Forgery. The case dates back to September 2008 when documents and signatures were allegedly forged for the release of the forty foot container. A jury of nine deliberated […]
Three women, Pamela Gibson, Kimberly Gibson and Esther Camal were out socializing around four a.m. on Sunday when a fight broke between them. It is alleged that Pamela hit Camal on the head, Camal responded with a slap and Kimberly intervened. The trio got into another fight on Monday. Kimberly Gibson told police that she […]
Businessman, Wendelin Reimer, was violently attacked and killed in a broad daylight robbery last Friday afternoon. It is believed that three culprits were involved and today one suspect was arraigned for the Murder of the thirty-five year old owner of Eagle One Hardware Store. Twenty-four year old Nicholas Swazo was additionally charged with one count […]
A seventeen year old minor and nineteen year old Stephen Flowers were also charged with robbery today. The two allegedly held Justin Castillo at gunpoint on October second and stole his two hundred dollar beach cruiser bicycle. Flowers, who was found with the bike, was additionally charged with Handling Stolen Goods while the minor was […]
