Chester Myujah Bedminister of Grand Bay walked away a free man from the high court in Roseau on Friday June 14 2019 after a nine member jury found him not guilty of murder and man slaughter.
He had spent the last four years behind bars awaiting his trial.
Bedminister was charged for the death of Presley Fontaine in 2015 after he struck Fontaine with a concrete block on his head. Fontaine had gone to the Grand Bay Health Center to seek medical attention but received none so he went to his home. He was found dead in his house the next day.
During the trial which lasted over a month because of issues in the jury room, Bedminister, speaking from the prisoner’s dock in an unsworn statement, told the court that he was very sorry that Fontaine had died but he never intended to kill him.
The State’s case led by State attorney Sherma Dyrample and assisted by Ann Riviere and Diana Matthew, was that Bedminister used the block to “willfully murder Fontaine.”
However, his lawyers Peter Alleyne and Tiyani Behanzin claimed that their client was “provoked” and acted in self-defense and that had the deceased received medical attention he would not have died. The pathologist report stated that the victim died from “blunt force trauma”.
“Peter did a fantastic job in the case, we had technical difficulties and we are pleased with the verdict arrived at by the jury. The police was not able to prove its case since after the blow, he went home etc,” Behanzin stated.
A happy Bedminister, told the press that he is now going back to driving his commercial vehicles.
“I feel very happy about it. I want to thank my lawyers Mr. Alleyne and Mr. Behanzin very much and my good friend Biggy at the prison. I was just patient. The prison officers, I want to thank them for treating me good over the years and my friends at the prison,” he said. “It’s now back to driving my truck and bus now and starting myself again. I want to tell the police to do their investigations better before they arrest and charge people.”
Hello and good afternoon my people. Well time and time again we see that our prosecutor just isn’t prepared to try such cases. This criminal admitted to committing the crime and they still couldn’t get a Manslaughter conviction much less a murder conviction. Our government need to hire private attorneys and designate them as Special Prosecutors to try Murder,Rape, Kidnapping ,Shooting/assault first and second degree cases. Everyone is entitled to a defense but it’s very troubling that so many criminal are being release back into our communities when they are clearly guilty.
As a US citizen that now calls this country my home I’m ashamed at the criminal justice system and the health care in this country. I love this country so much and have advocated to other African Americans to come and live here however after having terrible experience with the local health center and PMH I no longer want my family and friends to consider investing until these people step they game way up. The attitudes around here are disgusting and I believe they never reprimand the health care workers because they need their help so badly. It’s insane! The man didn’t get help he went home and died what kind of service and oath these people taking? I believe after many years living here and attending many funerals I truly believe many locals could have survived had they had competent staff working at these health centres and PMH I cant have my elderly mother come to this country and they don’t even take care of their own people. May the victim RIP this case sounds like self…
WOW! what a shame to rob this man twice his life and justice anyway his blood is all over your hands.
Mr Wickham, would you allow your “wife” or your “husband” to follow your footsteps and become a political pollster?
The accused never denied that he hit the victim. In my opinion a claim of self defence by hitting someone on the head with a concrete block is hardly tenable but so is a charge of manslaughter, given the events following this assault, especially the alleged inadequacy of our medical service. However, a charge of GBH could have been filed straight away if the victim had reported the incident to the police. I am not aware he did this. The handling of this case has been unsatisfactory all round. Anyway, the jury has delivered its verdict and we must abide by that. It is not that the accused has not paid a penance as his four years incarceration testify.
Young man as you said move on. Please use this as a learning experience. Talk to others so they can learn and avoid such occurences. Give your life fully to the duties of the Lord. Who am I to judge you. I was not present. Almighty Father Jehovah is the one who knows, sees, hears all. I wish you well in your future endeavours but put Christ first in your life. In everything acknowledge him and he will direct your path. You spent some time behind bars. Do not dwell on the past. look towards the future. Make up for the lost years.
Sorry that someone had to die like this. Move on. No amount of regrets etc can bring him back alive. What is done already cannot be undone.
How was this man not found Guilty with all the evidence against him plus the fact that his victim died of blunt force trauma.
The fact that he went home irrelevant. Dominica the land where you can get away with anything.
The power of God not man
Is this part of a fictitious novel or what?
I am sorry someone died, they can not bring him back to life. But it is also an indictment of our legal system that a man has to spend four years at stock farm for his case to be settled in court to be found innocent as charged. I doubt we have a population today of even 70,000 but we have seem to have more lawyers than doctors so how can things like this continue to happen. The headman says he run things in our place. Really??
“It’s now back to driving my truck and bus now and starting myself again. I want to tell the police to do their investigations better before they arrest and charge people.”
Man shut up you should be in jail serving life for manslaughter, you are the cause of the man’s death, when you picked up the rock, and decided to execute the blow to his head, or whatever part of the man’s body, your intention was to kill!
Even if he got medical attention, he would have died as a result of the trauma he suffered which caused him to bleed internally, and die!
The crap happened to my niece, who got beaten by a man; she went to the hospital more than three times, each time the quacks sent her home; telling her if she continues to feel pain “come back” the last time she went home she succumb to the injuries; bleed internally.
Medical malpractice that is, the government, hospital and doctors should be sued!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
I really symphasize with you now that I really see what has been troubling you all those years but what you cannot put behind your back, will make you bitter & damage you. No amount of bitteness you harbour inside will bring back your neice. You need to let go & move on. For example you can do some form of counselling to young men. You also need to heal yourself. I pray that you seek the Lord in this. It can be very hard but if you are heal, the real Francisco will show not the bitterness / Hatred as displayed by you now.
I do not need any insults from you because I have said so in good faith. May the good Lord give you clarity so you can accept and work towards a better you who can be more beneficial to society based on the education you have received. Humility I also wish for you. Be humble at all times. Pride and arrogance is the pitfall of us all. Sympathetic too we should be for our Father gives grace & mercy to us undeserving…
Question mark, for long as you live; try as you may, you will never be able to define me!
I do not know where you got your notion of hate, and all that you believe is within me.
You do not know me actually; so how your manage to deduce such nonsensical perceptions of me is beyond me.
Murderers get away with murder all the time; especially in a place like Dominica.
It is a lawyers business to defend people who kill and murder people; it is the law of the land, every accused murderer is entitled to defense counsel.
Though some highly ethical lawyer will not defend a murderer, others will.
Mind you even when a lawyer know the truth, knows their clients are guilty, the lawyer must present a case that will allow the jury to believe the murderer is not guilty; however, keep in mind a not guilty verdict does not make the culprit innocent.
I iterate, this guy is responsible for the victim death!
Because it hasn’t happen to your family so you they talking nonsense. But let it happen to your family you’ll be singing a different song. Live the man alone.
A lucky man.. Stay out of trouble, it might be different next time.
The State may have mishandled this one. According to the defence, “— had the deceased received medical attention he would not have died.” The victim was injured as a result of the blow that he received from the defendant and he died from the effects of that injury. Therefore, the deceased would not have needed medical attention and would not have died, had the defendant not injured the victim with the weapon. If the defendant was acting in self defence, that’s another issue.
I couldn’t have said it any better! No one should be walking free after they have murdered or intended to kill someone. What is wrong with our law system in Dominica? This is absurd.
I agree with you. This man’s action is the CAUSE of death, so i dont understand how he gets to walk free. He should have ATLEAST been guilty of manslaughter.
You are so right Mr.Bedminister ,the police should do their job properly.They follow Thomas Balls Letang and Linton,talking BS,about RATS and BED BUGS.UWP useless police.Getting paid for doing nothing.LAZY.
If he hadn’t received any trama there would be ni need for hospital. Stop the bull ****. The medical team had nothing to d with his death. I hope Chester wouldn’t start to break and open people house and steal stuff now that he’s out
You can kill and walk away in Dominica but go jail for marijanua . Did the victim ever reach the health centre. Do you’ll research dam well. Murder is like drinking juice in DA. The justice system sucks. He will do the act over. Investigations needs to be done thoroughly. What are you’ll trying to say, because he didn’t receive medical attention he died? If the guy had walked up to the health centre from where the crime occurred there would definitely be a blood trail. Really? Not one drop of blood from all that bleeding. Pure crap.
Lucky you free on technicalities but to me you might be guilty of manslaughter whether or not you intended to murder
Welcome to Dominica. Where all murderers go free.