At least three attempted murder cases fell apart last week when witnesses refused to cooperate and today an accused murderer was set free under similar circumstances. The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions entered a Nolle Prosequi in the case against twenty-three year old Marvin Bradley because the witnesses refused to come forward with […]
Dr. John Gough was accused of brutally beating a sixteen year old boy in February 2010, reportedly over a relationship with his teenage daughter. That case ended with Gough being exonerated and his neighbor, Egbert Nicholson was convicted of Wounding. But the family of Carlos Zelaya Junior is still seeking justice and has now filed […]
Also in court, a fifteen year old male student of Belize City claims that he was sexually abused by a twenty-four year old man. The Social Services Personnel have intervened in the case and, based on the child’s report, led police to detain Kareem Hamilton, a resident of Morter’s Alley. The minor alleges that in […]
Six persons, including a pregnant woman and an accused rapist, were remanded to prison today for a series of burglaries in the Lake Independence and Belama areas. On Friday, police searches at a numbers of houses and a pawn shop led to the recovery of a huge stash of stolen items. Twenty-two year old Leroy […]
A seventy-four four year old retiree was also in court today, but for sentencing. Orlando Espejo, also known as “Landy”, was convicted on Friday of Manslaughter by Negligence and Negligent Grievous Harm. At his age, the prospect to going to prison is a frightening one, but Espejo was spared by Justice Adolph Lucas, who imposed […]
In court news, seven witnesses were called and a jury deliberated for about three hours in the case against seventy-four year old Orlando Espejo aka Landy, which ended today. The retired businessman was found guilty of Manslaughter by Negligence and Negligent Grievous Harm. The charges arose after a traffic accident on June thirteenth, 2009 in […]
Also in court, twenty-one year old Eugene Myers and thirty-seven year old Anthony Singh were charged with Forgery, Theft and Claiming upon a Forged Document. The complainant is Myers’ neighbor, nineteen year old Tiffany Thomas, who claims that her credit union book went missing on May twenty-fourth while Myers was at her house. The men […]
For the third time this week, an Attempted Murder case fell apart when the victims chose not to proceed with trial. Twenty year old Devain Flores, was accused of shooting nineteen year old Carl Lambey and his cousin twenty-three year old Kareem Gillett. But today Lambey told the court that he didn’t want to give […]
A sixty year old taxi driver has joined the prison population for allegedly fondling a nine year old girl. The child has reported that on June fifth, Godfrey Mortis took her into his house, kissed her neck and touched her inappropriately. Mortis was arraigned today on a single charge of Aggravated Assault of an Indecent […]
At the age of sixteen, Stephan Flowers was accused of shooting twenty-seven year old Gilroy Garnett. That was back in July, 2009 and Flowers, who is now eighteen, was today acquitted of Attempted Murder when Garnett took the stand and told the court that he does not want to proceed with the case. Prosecutor Sheneiza […]
Thirty-five year old Ted Armstrong was escorted in shackles when he arrived at court today but walked away a free man having spent five years behind bars. Armstrong was twice tried for murder but convicted of manslaughter and was serving a twelve year sentence. Armstrong challenged the Supreme Court decision and got the news this […]
A reputed member of the Gill Street Gang was arrested for Kept prohibited firearm and Kept unlicensed ammunition, but he is also being investigated and may be charged for the Murder of Mark Matura. When police responded to the scene of the fatal shooting on Friday, they were securing a three block area and noticed […]
A Belize City businessman decided today that he did not want to proceed to trial against two accused men for attempting to rob his business and trying to kill him. After two years of waiting for the case to come up, Feliciano Coy, manager of Diamonds Entertainment Bar, told the court this morning that he […]
A police woman was also before the court today, facing charges for stealing jewelry and other items from Julissa Westby, who was detained back in March. Westby’s complaint led to the speedy arrest of Special Constable Andrea Rivero and today twenty-nine year old WPC Nicholette Bermudez was charged with Theft. Bermudez appeared unrepresented before Magistrate […]
A Ladyville gas attendant is behind bars tonight after he was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie on a charge of Carnal Knowledge. The report against twenty year old Seaford Miles was made by a fifteen year old who claims she met him at his workplace on May twenty-first. According the teen, Miles took her […]
Electrician, Nigel Tillett was behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux pick-up that knocked down and killed the well known, Gilbert “Ray” Lightburn on October seventh, 2009. Today, Tillett was acquitted of Causing Death by Careless Conduct as well as the lesser charge of Manslaughter. Justice Adolph Lucas upheld a no case submission made by […]
Three of four persons accused in the murder of twenty-two year-old Jessie Jones were freed earlier this week. The Director of Public Prosecutions forwarded the directive to Belmopan Magistrate, Adolph Lucas, stating that there was insufficient evidence against twenty-four year olds Lionel Sampson and Leroy Anthony Richards as well as twenty-seven year old Kimberly Oshon. […]
And while Sampson walked from a murder charge in Belmopan, he was convicted of Robbery in the Belize City Magistrates Court this morning. The father of three pleaded for lenience, saying that he had already spent eight months in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Magistrate Emerson Banner spared him further jail time and […]
A murder trial ended before it could start this morning when Prosecutor for the DPP’s office, Keisha Williams, discontinued a case against a well known criminal figure. You’re probably guessing that it was another case of a missing witness… and you’re right. Williams said that their office as well as the Police Department made numerous […]
Special Constable, Nakisha Usher, was violently beaten in December 2010 and her ex-common-law husband, Police Constable Briceño Shal was charged with Wounding soon after the incident. That case was called at nine o’clock this morning, but when Usher arrived a few minutes later, Magistrate Roberto Ordonez had already dismissed the charge and Shal was freed. […]
A seventeen year old girl is facing prison time for attacking and stabbing twenty year old Teresita Vivas in 2008. The minor, nineteen year old Danya Sankey and eighteen year old Whitney Martinez were jointly charged with Attempted Murder following the incident. Today a jury of seven women and two men acquitted Sankey and Martinez, […]
Also in court, a Buttonwood Bay resident was busted after he solicited money from three persons and used the name of the Minster of Works, Anthony Boots Martinez. Forty-three year old William Lopez approached Laura Mora, Steven Flowers and Shannet Williams on separate occasions and showed them documents, claiming that he was selling land for […]
A jury of seven women and five men went into deliberation ten minutes after midday to decide the fate of twenty-nine year old Harrison Smith, who is charged with the 2007 murder of Lionel Welcome. Four hours passed before the jurors emerged with unanimous Not Guilty verdicts for both murder and the alternative manslaughter charge. […]
A twenty-one page decision was handed down this morning by Justice Minnet Hafiz on the ongoing feud in the citrus industry over strongman Henry Canton. The Citrus Growers Association has been relentless in its efforts to oust Canton from his post as C.E.O. of Citrus Products of Belize Limited and at an extraordinary General Meeting […]
And in the Magistrates Court, twenty year old Elroy McKay, a Ladyville resident, was found guilty this evening for a burglary at the home of Crown Counsel Andrew Bennett. McKay broke into Bennett’s house in the Los Lagos community on August twenty-fifth, 2010 and made off with a television as well as assorted jewelry and […]
