There was only one guilty plea at the arraignment when the September Session of the Criminal Court got underway at the High Court in Roseau on September 27, 2019 before new resident Judge Madame Justice Wynante Adrien Roberts.
Julien Joseph pleaded guilty to the charge of Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) with intent and will return to court on November 1, 2019 for sentencing after a social inquiry report and mitigating factors have been submitted.
The indictment, which was filed by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on September 10, 2019 alleges that Joseph wounded James Dubois in Capuchin on November 2, 2018 with intent to cause him Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH).
Samantha Cabey pled not guilty to theft. The prosecution alleges that between March 31, 2009 and October 31, 2010, she stole EC$159,838.15 from Dev Trading Ltd. Also pleading not guilty was Jefferson Michael Ducreay charged with GBH and unlawful wounding and Kerwin Prosper, for burglary.
Martin Seaman and Devin Challenger, charged with the murder of Joshua Etienne, also made court appearances. Denny Shillingford, charged with arson and Luhanson Javid Pascal, charged with the murder of his grandmother, also appeared in court. Pascal’s lawyer Zena Moore Dyer filed application for bail which was granted in the sum of fifty thousand dollars with strict reporting conditions.
DPP Evelina Baptiste, due to sick leave, was not present in court. Trinidadian lawyer, Keith Scotland (no stranger to the prosecution in Dominica) was present and will be working with the staff in the office of the DPP during the Session.
Meantime, the Court of Appeal will be sitting in Dominica from today, September 30, 2019 for one week to hear civil and magisterial criminal appeals.
Good point Mr. Warrington.
That one gets me; a man charged with murder of his grandmother is freed on bail of $50,000. The whole courts system is ridiculous. Evev the concept of assizes which reduces the speed and effectiveness of our judicial system needs to be scrapped. The courts need to be active every day of the year.