BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE sitting of the May 2012 Criminal Assizes closed on July 19 and 13 matters along with five sentencings have been traversed to the sitting of the next Criminal Assizes.
A total of 26 cases were scheduled to be heard at the now closed Assizes, half of which were heard, while the other half are expected to be heard at the next Assizes.
The traversed cases are those of a juvenile; Nelson Challenger, Shenroy Francis, Jami Rawlins, Glenroy Smithen and Moses Gardner; Denver Fyfield; Amal Whyte and Devon Fyfield; Kelroy ‘C-Face’ Hazel and Jahari ‘Baddie’ Bart; David Payne and a juvenile; Denzil Huggins; Ishaun Wilkes and Sheldon Isaac; Jahmari Lake and Leon Jederon; Angel Palmer, Arismendi Rivera, Juan Samiento, and Ramon Benitezsaba and three unnamed men.
Challenger, Francis, Rawlins, Smithen and Gardner are expected to stand trial for the murder/manslaughter of Gregory Zakers on April 10, 2008.
Denver Fyfield is charged with the murder of Hendricks Roberts who was killed sometime between June 20 and June 21, while Whyte and Devon Fyfield have yet to be tried for the June 23, 2005 murder of Hubert Phipps.
Payne and the juvenile are jointly charged with robbing St. Clair Nathaniel Gumbs of EC $647 at New Road on May 20, 2011 while Huggins has yet to be tried for the detaining of postal letters on April 1, 2006.
The juvenile is faced with a murder charge for the killing of 14-year-old Bejay Dore on April 3, 2009, while Ishaun Wilkes and Sheldon Isaac are jointly charged with assault with intent to commit a felony on May 18, 2011 at Bird Rock.
Lake and Jederon are facing two counts of robbery on 26 April, 2011 at Conaree Village where they are alleged to have stolen a number of pieces of jewellery valued at EC$41 063 and EC$ 48 200 from two females.
The men are also charged with receiving the items, as well as being jointly charged with indecent assault allegedly committed on 26 April, 2011.
Palmer, Rivera, Samiento and Benitezsaba are jointly charged with attempted larceny at the Conaree Landfill on January 1, 2010 where they are said to have attempted to steal transformers, used batteries and copper, property of Sylvester Tweed.
Kasim Buchanan who was charged with wounding with intent and unlawful wounding is still waiting to have his matter tried for a second time following a hung jury in the January 2012 Criminal Assizes.
The offence is said to have been committed on November 14, 2009.
Two men are facing sexual charges of rape committed on February 19, 2011; unlawful carnal knowledge committed on June 1, 2011; while another is charged with one count of rape and one count of unlawful carnal knowledge on June 27, 2011.
The sitting of the next Criminal Assizes is expected to begin in September, 2012.
