Out of the 22 matters which were brought before the High Court of Justice during the May Criminal Assizes, the state has been successful in all with the exception of two that were not heard.
Thursday marked the end of an approximately three-month long assizes.
Resident Judge Justice Birnie Stephenson-Brooks acknowledged the efforts and success of the state prosecutors Director of Public Prosecutions Gene Pestaina and lawyer Wayne Nordé during her closing address.
This is the first time in a while that the state has been successful in all their cases brought before the criminal high court.
Initially, not guilty pleas had dominated the assizes, where only one accused man arraigned for an offense had pleaded guilty to the indictment leveled against him. Gradually more defendants changed their pleas.
Cases were discontinued against Kurt James and Fitzgerald Winston. James had faced charges of conspiracy to theft, attempted theft, two charges of attempting to obtain property by deception and theft by posing as the Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit. Winston was charged with five counts of false accounting.
Six sexual-related matters came before the courts. One indecent assault matter against a 17-year-old was dismissed as the main witnesses-the complainant and her mother-failed to show to give evidence against him.
A warrant continues for the arrest of Dexter Jno Baptiste, accused of wounding with intent. The matter had been traversed to this assizes since he had absconded and is still being sought by police. Jno Baptiste was a patient at the Princess Margaret Hospitalwhen he escaped on June 13. He had complained of chest pains while behind bars.
Among other matters, were a case involving 59-year-old Sylvester Darroux who had initially pleaded not guilty to stabbing 15-year-old Ranji Larond of La Plaine during a carnival celebration. He later changed his plea and was sentenced to four imprisonment with three years suspended. He was also and fined.
Ken Wade appeared on the indictments of robbery and wounding with intent. He stabbed and stole jewelery of a Fond Cole woman. He was sentenced to three years in prison with two and half-years suspended.
Skeffington Benjamin was found guilty of taking conveyance of a boat last year and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Denny Shillingford was handed down a seven-year jail sentence for causing grievous bodily harm to a St Joseph man by instructing his pit-bull to attack him. According to the court, the victim had suffered injuries to his right leg and had spent several weeks in the hospital.
Meanwhile, Cressington Isles, Chester Seraphine and McGarvin Peters were all sentenced for grievous bodily harm.
It is about time. The DPP’s office really needed a shaking up. We have to take care of the states affairs, do our home work and leave the bottle alone.
@IS TRUE: you need to let the state know who these criminals are so they can be sought after.if you know and don’t talk then u are just like them all
YOU GO WAYNE…..GOOD JOB I THINK YOU MAKING THESE LAZY DPP’S WAKE UP….GOOD JOB
Wayne Norde is the next DPP…
This is good,but the state (the authorities to be) need to go at the criminals at the top..There are many and they are causing moral,economical,spiritual,etc decadene of the country.Criminals ar not only those who stab,those who commot sexual offences,or those who break and open.Criminals are also those who deal with drugs,those who act as accessories to these people,those who are engaged in money laundering and those who cannot account for their massive accumulation of wealth.