Attorney Andrew Bennett was back in court today where he continued to defend against an extradition request by the U.S. government. In the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer this morning, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lyn Vidal and attorney Anthony Sylvestre, who is representing Bennett, went back and forth over legal documents that were […]
Despite Sylvestre’s objection that the document ought not to be entered into the proceeding, the Chief Magistrate ultimately decided on its admission. Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney for Andrew Bennett “We did make strenuous submissions as it relates to why we believe that that ought not to be, but at the end of the day the […]
Twenty-nine-year-old John Chessman Junior has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a lesser charge from the count of murder which he was read in August 2012 for the shooting death of Chinese businessman Jiantao Yang in Ladyville. Today, during mitigation plea the disturbing footage, captured on surveillance camera, was replayed in the courtroom of Justice Marilyn Williams. […]
Two Belize City residents were arraigned late this evening in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts-Anderson for Friday afternoon’s shooting on Antelope Street. Police believe that they have obtained sufficient evidence against Jose Vasquez and Jose Rivera for the aggravated assault upon three individuals who stood near a mechanic on Antelope Street. While no […]
One of two motorcycle drive-by shooters was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts-Anderson today for Sunday night’s armed attack on Pelican Street. Tareek Smith is charged with six counts: two each for attempted murder and use of deadly means of harm, as well as dangerous harm and wounding. His accomplice remains at large. Smith, a […]
A twenty-five-year-old man, Kendale Greene, has been remanded to prison after being accused of shooting Ronald Michael and two others on Sunday morning. Greene was arraigned this afternoon on four indictable offenses. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm upon Michael’s common-law-wife Allane Usher and Christopher Hyde. He was additionally […]
Thirty-five-year-old Hugh Dyer, who has been incarcerated since 2015 pending the outcome of a murder trial, walked away from the charge today when a nolle prosequi was entered. On July nineteenth 2015, Steven Munnings, a resident of Hattieville, was reportedly bludgeoned by Dyer whose estranged common-law wife had given him a house key to repair […]
Less than a week after the shooting death of Lindon Baldwin on Ebony Street, police arrested and charged four persons, including a minor, for the crime. This afternoon, Shawn Gibson was first to appear before Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer and arraigned for murder; he was remanded to prison until July twenty-first. Shortly after, fishermen Denver […]
Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat has filed separate claims before the Supreme Court against the Government of Belize. Those lawsuits are in addition to pending litigation in the high court, following a decision by the Court of Appeal on Thursday. The bench ordered that a previously dismissed matter involving the firebrand politician being thrown […]
It made headlines back in August 2016 when opposition parliamentarian Julius Espat was physically removed from the House of Representatives on the instruction of former House Speaker Michael Peyrefitte. The incident was unprecedented as the Cayo South Area Representative was manhandled and ejected out of the building by several police officers after raising the damning […]
This afternoon, we spoke with Espat who explained that there is merit to the claim that his constitutional rights were indeed violated when he was forcefully kicked out of the House meeting that Friday. Julius Espat, Area Representative, Cayo South “From the day it happened, we have been confident that it was not handled […]
According to Espat, he is seeking redress in the form of compensation for the length of time that he was suspended from the House without pay. Primarily, he wants it placed on record that the decision to oust him from parliament was unconstitutional. Isani Cayetano “What remedies are you seeking or would you be […]
Twenty-year-old Zena Armstrong is out on bail after being charged with manslaughter. The incident involved the fatal stabbing of Ana Villanueva in Corozal on Monday night. The young ladies had a history of bad blood between them and that enmity turned deadly when a knife was drawn during an altercation. Villanueva was stabbed once with […]
Chilean national Juan Espinosa SaaVerdra pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an ATM scam in Dangriga and Belize City; he was fined a total of six thousand dollars, which he met forthwith and has now been handed over to the Immigration Department for his expulsion from the country. Espinosa, along with two other South Americans, […]
Nineteen-year-old Zena Armstrong is out on bail tonight, following the stabbing death of Ana Villanueva in Corozal Town over the weekend. Armstrong was arraigned for one count of manslaughter, for which she pleaded not guilty and was given bail of eight thousand dollars. On Sunday night, the young women were involved in a fight during […]
A new courthouse was inaugurated this morning at the Belize Central Prison where inmates will now be able to connect directly with the Supreme Court and the magistrate’s court from behind prison walls. The initiative was funded by the U.S. government to the tune of roughly three hundred and eighty-seven thousand dollars and provides video […]
The sensational trial of five persons, two Mexican nationals and three Belizeans, accused with drug trafficking and the illegal landing of a drug plane in the Orange Walk District in September 2018, came up today in the Orange Walk Magistrate Court before Senior Magistrate Patricia Arana. But there is a major development—one of the men […]
The infamous William ‘Danny’ Mason and his associates were back before Supreme Court Justice Antoinette Moore in Belmopan today. This time, Mason went in armed with a new attorney, Dexter Todd of Guyana. Todd arrived in the country on Monday and was seen in the company of Mason’s wife, Melissa Ferguson. Mason retained the services […]
William ‘Danny’ Mason et al are also facing kidnapping charges. They stand accused of kidnapping Mennonite businessman Lloyd Thiessen and his wife in May 2016. The Thiessens reportedly handed over three hundred thousand dollars to Mason for the importation of corn. The corn was never imported and things went sour when Thiessen attempted to recover […]
As we told you, Guyanese attorney, Dexter Todd, had to be called to the bar in order for him to practice law in Belize and represent William ‘Danny’ Mason. The thirty-eight-year-old attorney says his law career spans over a decade. After being sworn in, Todd told the media that he is not an attorney who […]
The police department is once again cracking down on individuals believed to be involved in gang activity. This morning in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford, four alleged gang members from rival groups in the city were arraigned and remanded to the Belize Central Prison. Tevin Cacho, Ulide Allen, Akeem Augustine and Jeffery Buller […]
Arriving in the country today was thirty-eight-year old Dexter Todd, a Guyanese attorney. Todd has been retained by William “Danny” Mason, also from Guyana, who is expected to go back to Supreme Court in Belmopan this Tuesday for the beheading of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas. Mason’s previous attorney, Herbert Panton and Rachel Montejo, were released so […]
Forty-five-year-old Judith Cacho, a teacher at Queen Square Anglican School, was arraigned on a single charge of harm today. The incident reportedly occurred on January sixteenth, almost four months ago, but it was not until today that Cacho was arraigned before Senior Magistrate, Tricia Pitts-Anderson. Cacho pleaded not guilty to the charged and was offered […]
A father accused of killing his twenty-one-year-old stepson was acquitted today after a judge found him not guilty. Patrick Castillo chopped Jose Yontan Maderos as many as four times to his neck, head, shoulder and back. This afternoon, Justice Colin Williams ruled that Castillo acted in self-defence because there was provocation. Patrick’s trial started on […]
Forty-two year old Brian Brown, who was once a leading member of the George Street gang, has been convicted of threatening to set on fire his mother, sixty-one year old retired teacher, Rose Jacobs. The incident occurred on August twenty-third, 2018 at the Lord Ridge Cemetery where Jacobs had gone for the burial of a […]
