Man cleared in death charge

Dwayne Leroy Jones is no longer facing a manslaughter charge in connection with the death of a Valley Land, St George man.

Today, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Queen’s Counsel Donna Babb-Agard dropped the charge on the grounds that there was not sufficient evidence.

Jones, of Lower Burney, St Michael had been accused of unlawfully killing 23-year-old Joshua Fitzgerald Payne, on November 12, 2006.

“I have reviewed this file, over and over, and the evidence does not stand so that I can proceed with this matter. Every eyewitness who gave statements to the police indicated that the deceased unfortunately was the aggressor and based on my review of the evidence I will not proceed with the matter against Dwayne Jones,” the DPP told Justice Randall Worrell this morning as she requested that the accused be “discharged”.

The judge so ordered and Jones, who was represented by attorney-at-law Desmond Sands and had also been on bail, walked out of the No. 2 Supreme Court a free man.