Kittitian suspect turns himself in to St. Maarten authorities
By L.K. Hewlett
Editor-SKNVibes.com
(PHILLIIPSBURG, St. Maarten) – A Kittitian male suspected of gunning down 25 year-old Dimitri ‘Beaver’ Trotman in St. Maarten on March 2nd turned himself in to the island’s authorities this past Saturday.
The suspect, referred to only by the initials J.G., allegedly fled to his native St. Kitts after the shooting that occurred over an ‘argument’ at a popular hang-out spot.
The man reportedly flew back to St. Maarten via LIAT on Saturday evening to surrender himself after his lawyer, Denicio Brison, had negotiated the terms of his detention with the Prosecution’s Office.
One of the principal terms in the negotiations was that the suspect be tried and sentenced in Dutch St. Maarten where his mother resides. This fact was confirmed by Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein.
One media house on the Dutch/French island reported that J.G.’s lawyer claims that his client will be pleading self defense, based on the statements he gave. ~~Adz:Right~~
He said that his client claims to have been “tortured” by Trotman after rumors had circulated that he (J.G.) was a “snitch”.
Brison said his client claims that Trotman and some other men had assaulted him the night before the incident and when Trotman approached him that night, he shot at him out of fear. Another man was injured during the shooting and had to be flown overseas for medical treatment.
Citing ‘absence of premeditation’ and ‘self defense’, Brison is said to be anticipating a ‘less harsh sentence’ for his client.
