Murder charge dropped after successful no-case submission

St Michael men Christopher Anderson Shepherd and Rio Richan Jelanie Malcolm Benn no longer have a murder charge hanging over their heads.

The men walked free of the charge Tuesday after their attorney, Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens made a successful no-case submission on their behalf in the High Court.

Shepherd of Spruce Street and Benn of Upper Duke’s Alley, Vine Street were on trial before Justice Randall Worrell and a 12-member jury for almost two weeks accused of murdering Le Andrew Coward on October 3, 2019. Coward was shot at a fete at V.I.B Sports Bar, Jessamine Avenue, Bayville St Michael.

During the trial the No.2 Supreme Court heard that when the DJ started to play the song Shooting Mood at the fete, shots rang out and a man, later identified as Coward, was seen stumbling before falling on his face.

But after Principal State Counsel Oliver Thomas and State Counsel Dr Zoe King closed their case against the accused, Mitchell-Gittens made a no-case submission before the judge. The senior counsel argued among other things that there was no evidence, forensic or otherwise linking her clients to the crime, none of the witnesses called to testify placed a firearm in theirhands and no one saw how Coward met his death and under the circumstances, they should not have to answer to the charge.

After hearing the arguments of the prosecutor, Justice Worrell ruled in favour of the defence.

During the trial some of the witnesses who had given statements to police in the matter told the court they could not recall what occured. Court officials said that authorities will have to find a way to to address this trend with witnesses, after the judge directed the jury to give a not-guilty verdict in the case.