BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is making final preparations as it readies itself to tackle the long list of cases that comprise the May 2009 Criminal Assizes scheduled to begin tomorrow (May 26).
SKNVibes understands that the list contains more than 50 cases, traversed and new, among which six are for murder.
Traversed from the January 2009 Criminal Assizes, Bishu Isaac’s case is scheduled to be tried during the May 2009 Criminal Assizes. He is accused of stabbing to death 26-year-old Tau Gowan on April 18, 2008. Another traversed case expected to be heard is that of Wycliffe Liburd who is accused of the committing the murder of Charles ‘Abaloo’ Matthew on April 18, 2008.
A decision handed down at the Basseterre High Court of Justice convicting and sentencing Patrick Weekes and Calvert Herbert was overturned by the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal late last year. That court ordered that the men be re-tried soonest and their case was listed for hearing during the January 2009 Criminal Assizes. It was however traversed to this upcoming assizes.
They will be tried for the September 4, 2003 murder of Gerard Saddler, the attempted murder of Glen Liburd and for “having a firearm in possession with intent to endanger life”.
The three new murder cases are those involving Elroy ‘Stanny’ Williams, Meekel Clarke and Lester ‘8-Ball’ Tross.
Williams is accused of committing the August 11, 2008 shooting death of 23-year-old Delvis Romney of Newton Ground while Tross is accused of committing the gun-related murder of Shamari ‘Kwazi’ Williams. That incident occurred on July 5, 2008.
Clarke, a Challenger’s resident, is accused of stabbing to death Erish Emanuel Weekes who was also of Challengers Village. That incident is said to have taken place on October 15, 2007 at the deceased’s home.
Verlyn Zakers of Newton Ground, who just about one year ago was arrested and charged with illegal gun possession, will finally have her day in court. She was charged with “possession of firearms” and “possession of ammunition” after packages she was clearing at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport were found to contain six firearms and more than 400 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Other cases listed for this assizes include rape, indecent assault, unlawful carnal knowledge, arson, attempted murder, wounding with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm, house breaking and larceny and burglary.
Presiding judge for the Assizes is His Lordship Justice Francis Belle and the prosecution team comprises of the DPP Paulina Hendrickson, Reynold Benjamin and Rhonda Nisbett-Browne.
