BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TWO men, Joseph ‘Galvanise’ Hazel of Bird Rock and Keston Martin of Parson’s Ground, who were charged with the murder of the proprietor of Elvis Love Shack Bar & Grill, Elvin Elvis Stanley of Old Road, yesterday (Aug. 22) walked out of the Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial and Legal Services Complex as free men.
After being on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) since Thursday, February 2, 2012, Hazel and Martin appeared at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court for the Preliminary Inquiry hearing into their cases before Her Worship Simone Bullen-Thompson.
Hazel and Martin were represented by Senior Counsel Hesketh Benjamin, who stated that the magistrate found there was insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution of his clients, which led to them being freed.
He pointed out that the prosecutor had statements from ubiquitous persons and also three witnesses, one of whom said that a gold-coloured car was tailing Stanley’s vehicle on the night of his death.
That witness, he noted, claimed that the gold-coloured car got in front of Stanley’s and was making zigzags on the road, shortly after which a man came from within the bushes and started shooting in the direction of Stanley’s vehicle.
However, he added, another witness said that they did not see what transpired because the place was dark.
The Attorney-at-Law also noted that footage was presented as evidence against his clients, but claimed that while the prosecutor was basing her arguments on it, the contents revealed that Martin had a black car within which Hazel had disembarked and entered a bar within proximity of Elvis Love Shack Bar & Grill at the Frigate Bay Strip and had remained there when Martin’s car drove off behind Stanley’s vehicle.
Benjamin further noted that during the time of Stanley’s death and the wounding of his son and child’s mother, Hazel was still in the bar and that another witness, who had taken the stand, confirmed his presence there.
Hazel and Martin are two of three persons to have had their cases dismissed for the lack of sufficient evidence into Stanley’s murder.
On Friday, June 1, 2012, Shawn Bradshaw of Parson's Village also walked out of the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court a free man after being in custody at HMP for almost four months.
Bradshaw said that he was wrongfully arrested and blamed the police for his incarceration, noting that they were not thorough in their investigation and had caused him to lose four months of his life for a crime he did not commit.
Bradshaw was arrested on Monday, February 13, 2012 and charged with murder, while Hazel and Martin were charged on the afternoon of Thursday, February 2, 2012. Both of them, according to informed sources, were also charged with the attempted murder of Stanley’s child mother Maria Gumbs and their teenage son.
Stanley was shot to death shortly before midnight on Thursday (Jan. 26) while driving his vehicle along the Anchorage Road in Frigate Bay.
Information reaching this publication stated that after closing his Bar & Grill which is situated at The Strip in Frigate Bay, Stanley, his child’s mother and their teenage son were in his car travelling along Anchorage Road on their way to his Old Road home when the incident occurred.
This media house learned that midway along that road, a vehicle that was in front of Stanley’s slowed down, blocked his path and while he was blowing his horn an unidentified individual emerged from the bushes on the right and opened fire on the occupants.
Stanley was shot in the chest and he died on the spot.
His child’s mother, who was seated on the passenger’s side of the car, was also shot and shortly thereafter rushed to the JNF General Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.
One of the bullets grazed his son on his right thigh and he managed to open the door and ran to a friend who resides at the St. Christopher Club.
The teenager was taken to the hospital shortly before 2:00 a.m., where he was treated for his wound and discharged.
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