Four murder cases on cause list for September assizes

DPP Pestaina at opening of New Law Year

The case against Edward “Alcapone” Green is among four murder matters down to be heard during the September Criminal assizes which opens at the High Court in Roseau on Tuesday, September 25, 2012.

Green has been on remand for the past four years after he was charged with the murder of 35 year old Damien Dorival, whose headless body was found on Elmshall Road in June 2008. Dorival’s head was later discovered in the Palm Grove River.

Another case which is expected to attract a lot of attention is that of Webster Edmund of Layou.

Edmund, who is accused of kidnapping and holding a teenage girl from that community hostage for 40 days, faces charges of kidnapping, abduction, indecent assault, unlawful sexual intercourse, possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life and possession of firearm to endanger life.

He had pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and other summary charges and sentenced to spend a combination of two years and four months in jail.

The first case to be heard on September 26, 2012, following arraignments, will be the murder trial of Shane Degallerie.  That matter was traversed from the May assizes.

Matters down to be heard at the September assizes include murder, abduction, wounding, theft, grievous bodily harm, burglary, arson, kidnapping, indecent assault and possession of firearm.

Prosecuting on behalf of the State is Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Gene Pestaina, assisted by State Attorneys Clement Joseph and Arthlyn Nesty.

Justice Bernie Stephenson Brooks will preside at the assizes, scheduled to begin at 9am.

Justice Brookes inspects guard of honour

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33 Comments

  1. ya kill me si!!!
    September 25, 2012

    I AM ASHAMED OF DOMINICA

    I REPEAT

    I AM ASHAMED OF DOMINICA

  2. positive mind
    September 25, 2012

    positive mind Hot debate. What do you think? 4 11September 25, 2012

    alyou already know that edward (Alcapone ) is innocent. You people are just wicked. Alyou know exactly who commited the crime. You all have this man in custody when the police cannot come up with their evidence. They took the blood sample from inside his vehicle and sent it to a lab all the way to Trinidad for testing, only to find out that the blood was a chicken(fowl) blood. This was a frame up. The case should have been dismissed right there and then. Only in Dominica these kind of things happens.

  3. bee
    September 25, 2012

    It does’nt made any sense for assizes because all
    these murders will be back on the street free.

  4. living aboard
    September 25, 2012

    DNO really and truely what happening to all my comments they just disappearing. All am saying is the judges look like pigeons and it’s a fact. :twisted:

  5. living aboard
    September 25, 2012

    Where theyreally and truely need to go up in the Alaska snow mountains that’s where the pigeons live 8-O :lol: :)

  6. Morihei Ueshiba
    September 25, 2012

    The legal system has let down the Dominican nation, we have a pm saying no law or constitution can stop him, a president sworn in disregarding the laws of the land, you people should bow your head in shame to take part in such a lawless environment. We need people who will do the right thing. And START MANO CASE! :mrgreen:
    “The day we see truth and do not speak is the day we begin to die.”
    Martin Luther King

    • Raul Castrophe
      September 25, 2012

      Good comment. I have been following Da politcis and I am not happy. It not only smells of rut weiler pit toilet poopoo but a contageous disease is emerging from that pit toilet.
      So people, take action before it is too late.

  7. living aboard
    September 25, 2012

    Dno where is my comment it disappear. :cry:

  8. Anonymous
    September 25, 2012

    hmmmmm. asizes jus start and already 1 murder convict has been set free…………3 more to go…poor dominica.

    • Know Your Role
      September 26, 2012

      Hey logically speaking, don’t blame the judge, don’t blame the convicts defence. They are the ones defending their clients so win or lose they’ve done their part.

  9. tie toe
    September 25, 2012

    our system have soo much hole that we ourself even shame to hear what verdict judges come up with

  10. mamo
    September 25, 2012

    Why all that pagentry and police escort, dressed in their SUNDAY BEST to bringe a judge to court. Let the woman do her JOB like any other hard working Dominican.

    • honest
      September 25, 2012

      Mamo– your comment says a lot about your character and class.. Justice Brookes is an official Employee of the State. She is not special.. This procession is done by all countries around the world that has a justice legal system

      • DORIVAL DRIGO
        September 25, 2012

        Nonesense…..Where did you get that from? All countries around the world? Are you serious???

    • cowboy
      September 25, 2012

      Pomp & circumstance displays are not just for show. It is a public display that a society takes its various administrative mechanisms seriously and is committed to be ruled by laws and rules. The annual displays at opening of the court, opening of parliament, etc, is a public reconfirmation of those principles. You should be proud to see our society publicly demonstrate that we still aspire to those ideals. I am not naive – I know we need improvements. But if you pause for a minute, you will agree that for the most part Dominica is a democratic, lawful country. So take pride in these annual reaffirmations of our continued determination to make this work.

      • commentator
        September 25, 2012

        Well that is debatable. This pomp and ceremony is a left over from the colonial days my friend. Those were the times when the slave masters used to parade the convicts for all to see who was boss. Read your history and you will see that this ceremony is just a parade of foolishness.

      • cowboy
        September 25, 2012

        You are welcome to take that point of view commentator. The irony is you are making my point – not disproving it. These traditions are for showing the power and control of the state. Whether in the past the state was colonial does not change that fact. Never discount the power of tradition and ceremony in shaping power relations and beliefs. Have you been to a catholic mass lately?

      • commentator
        September 26, 2012

        I did not disagree with you my learned friend. I said that your argument is debatable meaning that there may well be a different interpretation. Do you ever wonder why the oficials in court wear black gowns and wigs? check it out. Do you know that only senior counsel or QC have the right to wear a silk gown? and why does the judge have to put on a black hankie over his head to sentence a person to death?(Thankfully no more)All steeped in devilry and masonic affairs. Check it out.

  11. A Voice
    September 25, 2012

    Boy that is a whole heap of pomp and circumstance for a judicial system that is lacking in so many ways.

    Let us hope justice prevails this time around and murders and other major crimes are not just swept out on technicalities.

    Sometimes in life the evil that men do lives with them…

  12. September 25, 2012

    Is that a man or a woman, who is being escorted

  13. Anonymous
    September 25, 2012

    a whole set of real sick people in the major cases. Allyuh notice that? In the major cases crimes are not crimes of passion or revenge.

  14. positive mind
    September 25, 2012

    alyou already know that edward (Alcapone ) is innocent. You people are just wicked. Alyou know exactly who commited the crime. You all have this man in custody when the police cannot come up with their evidence. They took the blood sample from inside his vehicle and sent it to a lab all the way to Trinidad for testing, only to find out that the blood was a chicken(fowl) blood. This was a frame up. The case should have been dismissed right there and then. Only in Dominica these kind of things happens.

  15. balaw
    September 25, 2012

    Is that how the stockfarm inmates dress mowsdays. The black garments with the white tie?

    • Morihei Ueshiba
      September 25, 2012

      @balaw that was a good one :lol: :lol: :lol:

      • LMAO
        September 25, 2012

        BALAW NICE ONE HAHAHA

  16. TRUEMAN
    September 25, 2012

    **NO POLITICS**

    May Law & order prevail!!! Always and for ever!

  17. In China
    September 25, 2012

    All just a show with no substance

  18. Morihei Ueshiba
    September 25, 2012

    Ohhh! I forget we have a court system in Dominica, so much criminals getting bail, so much injustice like mano case, no lawyers going jail, om boldly stating no law or constitution can stop him and showing it, court blocking private enterprise like Ferreira case, best we go back to bond servitude and get rid of a justice system that is so imbalanced and unfair.

  19. September 25, 2012

    I pray and hope that the families receive justice for their loved ones.

  20. September 25, 2012

    They will all walk free.That is a trend in our country,murderers always walk free.

  21. bwa kwaieb
    September 25, 2012

    Oh how nice! A fancy ceremony for people who don’t exercise the laws of Dominica. Give them a gold star! *rolls eyes* Pestaina looks like his usual self, . Dominica with all this praying you should be blessed with better leaders.

    • Anonymous
      September 25, 2012

      Excellent comment!!!! For real because I was just saying I love all the pomp and ceremony but you are so right! All of that for what? For whom? For a set of people who themselves desecrate the laws of the land every day and collude with the most powerful to cultivate and nurture corruption in the highest offices of the land? You are so right, bwa kwaieb!

      • commentator
        September 26, 2012

        Well said Anonymous. But you know where the real problem lies? There is no review body that can change law, bad law or indeed the legal system in Dominica. That is the flaw. When last did we have a review of the laws of Dominica? The last review was carried out by one man Alleyne QC so you can imagine that was a long time ago and the review was insufficiently briefed. Today the laws of Dominica are too simplified or too archaic. We need a review that will stop the practitioners from running rings around the legal system. But again where will this review come from? the Constitution??????? you see the dilemna??

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