Private Raheem Reeves has been deemed fit to stand trial.
That is the position of a physician from the Barbados Defence Force (BDF), who submitted a report stating that Reeves was medically fit to continue his ongoing court martial.
The BDF soldier is charged with leaving his duty station at St Ann’s Fort on March 14, 2021 without reasonable excuse, while he was assigned as part of a COVID-19 Sanitization Unit.
Reeves is being represented by Queen’s Counsel Michael Lashley, Dr Lenda Blackman, Simon Clarke and Sade Harris, while Captain Neville Corbin is prosecuting the matter.
Judge Advocate Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney and the panel comprising president Lieutenant Commander John Mapp, Captain Natalie Haynes and Sub-Lieutenant Jamal Wiggins are hearing the evidence.
Reeves had previously been granted sick leave until September 7 by the BDF’s medical staff.
It was determined that upon completion of that leave Reeves would be seen by a specialist who would submit a report to the panel indicating whether he was fit to continue the court martial.
When the court martial resumed this morning at Hodgson Hall, St Ann’s Fort, Reeves was present having been absent at last Friday’s hearing.
The prosecutor told the court that according to the report, Reeves was in a fit enough medical state to carry on with the proceedings.
“In essence, the doctor found the accused was never medically unfit to stand trial and that he is indeed medically fit to stand trial today,” Captain Nicholls said.
He told the panel Reeves had asked to be seen by a medical doctor from the BDF before today’s hearing and that request had been granted.
Captain Nicholls pointed out that Reeves would be allowed to be assessed by a BDF medical doctor every day if that was his request.
The prosecutor also told the court martial that a witness sought by the defense was being medically assessed and would be readily available once that was completed.
He said he had fulfilled his mandate of allowing that witness to communicate with the defense team.
However, the court martial had to be adjourned until Friday after the lead attorney Lashley was unable to attend this morning.
Sade Harris, who stood in on his behalf, told the court martial she was seeking an adjournment as the lead counsel was not feeling well, while the other senior attorney-at-law Dr Lenda Blackman was engaged in a trial at the High Court.
It was then agreed that the hearing would resume on Friday, September 10 at 9 a.m. (RB)
