ANDROS-Police are trying to figure out who shot a man multiple times and why.
Residents in Mars Bay alerted police after they found the victim’s bullet-riddled body at a park around 2pm on April 1.
Medical personnel pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The incident is the island’s first murder for the year.
Police have asked anyone with information that could help solve this crime to contact their nearest police station or call 502-9991/2.
Nassau, BAHAMAS- Time ran out today for a man who broke the nationwide curfew aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus in the country a second time.
Stephen Walkes today spends the first night of an eight-month prison sentence for his second curfew violation. That’s because he didn’t pay his $750 fine by the time the court’s accounts section closed.
Walkes’ relatives can still pay the fine. However, the repeat offender’s release could be delayed since the prison is on lockdown.
Walkes, 23, of Augusta Street, first ignored the 24-hour curfew on March 25. That’s when police found him on Poinciana Avenue around 12:30am.
Although curfew violators face up to 18 months in prison and and $10,000 fine, Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes gave the first-time offender a break.
On March 26, Walkes paid a $250 fine to avoid spending two months in prison for violating the curfew.
But Walkes clearly didn’t take his conviction seriously.
Just a day later, police arrested him AGAIN for breaking the curfew.
Forbes said that it was clear that people in the 18 to 35 age group didn’t appreciate the importance of the curfew.
The curfew that came into effect on March 20 aims to eliminate unnecessary social interactions. Heath officials say that social distancing is the main way to avoid exposure to the highly contagious disease.
Despite this, Forbes said he still encounters bumper-to-bumper traffic on his daily commute to work.
As of March 31, the country has 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Worldwide there are 850,583 confirmed cases and 41,654 deaths.
Local police have prosecuted more than 100 people for curfew violations.
The curfew has closed non-essential businesses and public spaces like parks to promote social distancing.
The curfew requires residents to remain confined to their homes unless traveling to conduct essential business like going to the bank, pharmacy or grocery store.
Law enforcement, medical personnel and the media are among those exempted from the curfew.
Copyright Bahamas Court News. All rights reserved.
Nassau, BAHAMAS- A man who stole four bottles of vodka during a nationwide curfew has been jailed for two years.
Devon Russell broke the curfew when he burgled Smuggler’s Café and Bar on March 27 and swiped three bottles of Grey Goose and a bottle of Absolut vodka, worth $180.96.
But it wasn’t a clean escape from Russell. A security guard patrolling the property around 8:45 pm met Russell stuck in the bar’s shutters.
The guard called police who arrested Russell. The bottles of liquor were stuffed in his clothes.
He pleaded guilty to charges of shopbreaking and stealing at an arraignment before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes.
Russell also broke the curfew designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country, which has 14 confirmed cases of the disease.
Liquor stores and bars were shut down as a result of the curfew that took effect on March 20.
Residents are supposed to be confined to their homes or yards, with limited exceptions.
Curfew exceptions are for those going to and from work at businesses considered essential. This includes medical personnel, law enforcement, members of the media, and essential store employees, among others.
Those who don’t work at essential businesses can leave home to buy groceries, fuel and medicine and to exercise.
However, police did not charge Russell with violation of curfew.
Copyright Bahamas Court News. All rights reserved.
Nassau, BAHAMAS-Despite an uptick in coronavirus cases, some continue to ignore a nationwide curfew imposed to stop the spread of the deadly disease.
Twenty-three curfew violators appeared in court on Monday, March 30, bringing the total of people prosecuted so far to 106. Police on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco have arrested people for ignoring the curfew.
As of today, the country has 14 known cases of coronavirus. However, health officials expect the number of cases to surge.
The curfew that took effect on March 20 and ends on April 8 bans large gatherings. Its aim is to contain the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus that has killed more than 30,000 people worldwide.
Yet, people continue to jeopardise their health and that of others by refusing to stay home.
Some of the violators left home to visit friends, get money or give people rides. They were fined up to $500, while others were warned.
Offenders face a maximum of 18 months in prison or a $10,000 fine.
While an emergency order has closed numerous businesses and restricts travel to shopping for basic necessities, banking, exercise within your neighborhood, and emergencies, the streets remain busy.
Prime Minister Hubert Minnis has proposed a shopping scheduled based on the first letter of surnames to reduce large crowds at grocery stores.
The details of the shopping schedule will be released this week.
Minnis also recommended a designated shopper for each family and shopping online.
Operating hours for banks and pharmacies will be shortened to 9am to 1pm.
Street vendors, with the exception of newspaper vendors, have been banned.
The Center for Disease Control says the best way to avoid exposure to the coranavirus is through social distancing. The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person and between people who are within less than six feet of one another.
Health officials recommend that people stay at home, frequently wash their hands with soap and water, and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. People who feel sick should stay at home and call their doctors.
Nassau, BAHAMAS- Prime Minister Hubert Minnis on Sunday announced plans to introduce grocery shopping schedules, as he tightens a curfew to stop the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
The move to reduce crowding during essential errands came after the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country increased to 14. Two patients are in hospital, while the remaining cases are well enough to recover at home.
Minnis said, “We anticipate more cases in a short period of time over the coming 20 days. This suggests that we are at the beginning of an expected surge. This means we must increase our efforts to restrict the spread of the virus and save lives.”
A curfew imposed on March 20 that expires Tuesday will be extended to April 8.
The current 24-hour curfew requires non-essential workers to remain at home unless they are buying food, medicine or visiting a doctor.
Police will increase enforcement of the curfew, Minnis said
Violators could be jailed for up to 18 months or pay a maximum fine of $10,000. Last week, police prosecuted 83 persons for curfew violations.
In order to reduce traffic in stores, Minnis suggested a designated shopper per family and assigned shopping days based on the first letter of surnames. He also encouraged stores to offer online shopping.
Minnis stressed panic buying is unnecessary since there are sufficient stocks of food and propane in the country.
He said, “This measure is intended to reduce the number of people on the road and to reduce the number of people at grocery stores at any one time. This is to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
Banks and pharmacies will now open from 9am to 1pm. Landscaping, property maintenance and janitorial companies can only open on Saturdays and Sundays.
What’s more, pool maintenance businesses will open only on Fridays and Saturdays.
Street vendors, with the exception of newspaper vendors, will be banned. However, paper vendors must stay in one location.
Effective March 31 at 9am, all public parks will close to force people to either exercise in their yards or communities.
Minnis said, “Driving to any exercise site or facility is prohibited.”
With more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths worldwide, the prime minister urged people to follow advice to stay at home to avoid dying alone.
Minnis said that the sick in other countries were taken to isolation wards for treatment.
“This means no friends of family members were able to see them because of how contagious COVID-19 is. They endured treatment alone. They got sicker alone. Many died alone with no friends or relatives at their sides.”
He stressed that staying home reduced the risk of exposure to the deadly virus.
Freeport- Police in Grand Bahama are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a shooting on Friday.
The shooting happened around 9am on Weddell Avenue. A gunman approached the victim and shot him multiple times before fleeing.
The shooting victim is in serious condition at the Rand Memorial Hospital, police said.
Shortly after the shooting, police named 25-year-old Tremayne Moss as a suspect in the attempted murder investigation.
His last known address is Woods Rodgers Drive.
Anyone who knows where Moss is should not approach him. Instead, call police on 911, 350-3014/6, and 302-8430/1.
Nassau, BAHAMAS- Last week police charged 83 people with breaking a nationwide curfew aimed to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Curfew violators face a maximum 18-month prison term or a fine of up to $10,000. Despite this, for the most part magistrates have imposed fines ranging from $200 to $1,500 for people found roaming the streets without a valid excuse.
However, police in Grand Bahama said Deputy Chief Magistrate Debbye Ferguson sentenced a homeless man to one year in prison for breaking the curfew. Police did not disclose the circumstances of his arrest.
Some of the curfew violators left their homes to visit a significant other, to buy alcohol and to collect owed money. Residents are required to call 311 to receive authorization to leave their homes during the curfew for non-essential business.
The country recorded its first case of the coronavirus on March 15. Five days later, on March 20, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis ordered the closure of nonessential government offices and businesses and imposed a curfew from 9pm to 5am. Minnis also banned large public gatherings and limited the number of people who could attend weddings and funerals.
Then, on March 24, the prime minister extended the curfew to 24-hours. He also closed beaches, parks and docks in an effort to stop the potentially deadly respiratory disease from overwhelming the country’s health system.
Citizens are supposed to remain inside their home unless they are classified as essential workers. Other exceptions include persons traveling to or from an essential business, food delivery, and up to 90 minutes of exercise within your neighborhood. Businesses that remain open operate on reduced hours and must limit the number of people inside to maintain social distancing.
The curfew ends on March 31. However, the current curfew could be a rehearsal for a longer lockdown.
Attorney General Carl Bethell recently told reporters that medical professionals suggested extending the curfew by 30 days to reduce the spread of the disease as the country records more cases.
As of March 28, the country had 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and no deaths. Worldwide there are 660,706 cases of the disease; 139,415 recoveries and 30,652 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
Copyright Bahamas Court News. All rights reserved.
Nassau, BAHAMAS- A lawyer on Thursday questioned the legality of a government-ordered lockdown intended to stop community spread of the coronavirus.
Attorney Ian Cargill argued that the March 17 emergency order that restricts non-essential travel between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5.a.m. is not law because it hadn’t been published in the Gazette.
However, Cargill could not prove his claim yesterday since Government Publications is closed as a result of the order.
Cargill made the preliminary point before Rashad Hunter’s arraignment accusing him of violating the 24-hour curfew that came into effect under a second emergency order on March 24.
Cargill said even though the second emergency order had been published in the Gazette, it was still invalid.
He said, “It’s an amendment; you can’t amend something that’s not law.”
Police arrested Hunter, of Pinewood Gardens, near St. Gregory’s Anglican Church on Carmichael Road at 9:15 p.m. on March 24.
Hunter denied the charge at his arraignment before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes.
Hunter, who is on $1,000 bail, returns to court on October 7 for trial.
Curfew violators could face a maximum prison sentence of 18 month and fines up to $10,000.
Hunter was among 20 New Providence residents charged with violating the new curfew law yesterday. Fourteen defendants pleaded guilty and were fined various sums not exceeding $500.
Two received absolute discharges; one case was withdrawn and three pleaded not guilty.
Among those charged was a mentally ill man; a woman headed to visit her boyfriend and a man who wanted to buy beer.
Police arrested Renaldo Ferguson on March 25 at 1:30 a.m.
He denied the charge at his arraignment before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt.
When the magistrate asked him if he was walking the street in the wee hours of the morning, as alleged by prosecutors, Ferguson said no.
Ferguson claimed that he was in his bed.
His mother told the court that Ferguson was mentally ill. As a result, the prosecutor withdrew the case.
However, the magistrate admonished her to keep closer tabs on her son during the curfew aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Police arrested Casha Clarke around 8:45pm on Wulff Road.
She was headed to her boyfriend when police stopped her car on March 24.
Clarke pleaded guilty when she appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes.
Asked if she was aware of the curfew, she said she thought it came into effect at 9pm.
Forbes fined Clarke $500 or three months in prison.
Forbes gave Clarke a short speech on the global impact of the coronavirus.
Then, he admonished her, “I want you to take the order seriously. It’s for the best for yourself and others.”
Police arrested Gerald Smith, of Amos Ferguson Street, on March 24 at 5:35pm.
He told police that he was headed to a liquor store to buy beer.
When the magistrate asked Smith if realised that the order closed liquor stores, Smith said he really left home to buy a root beer soda.
He was also fined $500 or three months in prison.
To date, police have prosecuted 35 persons in New Providence for violating the curfew. Police charged seven alleged curfew violators in Grand Bahamas and 12 in Abaco.
As of March 25, there are nine confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country.
Copyright Bahamas Court News. All rights reserved.
Nassau, BAHAMAS- A man accused of strangling his 58-year-old father will undergo a psychiatric evaluation in prison.
Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt made the order after Selwyn Seymour appeared before her accused of the March 23 murder of Dwight Ricardo Seymour.
Prosecutors say strangled his father at the home they shared on Beaumontia Avenue in Gardens Hills before burying his body in the yard.
Police arrested Seymour on suspicion of murder after finding the body.
Seymour was not required to enter a plea to murder charge. He spoke only to give his date of birth when he appeared before the chief magistrate.
Defense lawyer Ian Cargill asked the court to order a psychiatric evaluation because his client had a known history of mental illness.
The magistrate said that the testing could not take place at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.
However, she directed that doctors from the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre performed the evaluation as “soon as reasonably practicable.”
Cargill emphasized that Seymour’s fitness to plead would be an issue at his arraignment in the Supreme Court.
Prosecutors intend to send the case to the Supreme Court by a voluntary bill of indictment on May 27.
In the interim, Seymour has been remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
Copyright Bahamas Court News. All rights reserved.
For the second time, a panel of judges has dismissed an appeal against former Progressive Liberal Party Senator Frank Smith’s acquittal on corruption charges.
The Privy Council on Wednesday refused the government permission to challenge a Court of Appeal decision that affirmed Smith’s acquittal on charges of bribery and extortion last August.
The government had asked the country’s final court to overturn Smith’s acquittal and order a new trial.
The country’s final appeal court explained its decision to refuse to hear the appeal, saying “there is no risk that a serious miscarriage of justice” had occurred in Smith’s case.
Before the Privy Council affirmed his acquittal, the former chairman of the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) filed a malicious prosecution lawsuit against government.
Prosecutors alleged that Smith had abused his position as PHA chairman for personal gain, when he allegedly demanded $60,000 from Barbara Hanna from 2017 to 2018.
Hanna, the owner of Magic Touch Cleaning Company, claimed that Smith helped her secure a $500,000 contract to clean the Critical Care Block at Princess Margaret Hospital — and demanded the payments to ensure that she kept it.says ”
However, the prosecution’s case against Smith quickly fell apart when Hanna claimed that she never went to police to report the alleged scheme. According to Hanna, the police came to her.
Hanna testified, “I felt that I’m being used, because I’m not the one, who really pursue this matter. And I’m not the one, who went to the police. I felt like I’m being used. That’s my feeling. And I can‘t change the way I feel or how I think about the situation, because I’m not the one who went to the police.”
According to the evidence, Hanna contacted Minister of Health Duane Sands, who then referred her to National Security Minister Marvin Dames. The police then contacted Hanna.
Phone records showed calls between the Cabinet Ministers and Hanna before police became involved in the matter.
Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt condemned the “egregious and unorthodox” conduct of both minsters in the case when she dismissed the case on February 1, 2019.
In a statement Wednesday, Progressive Liberal Party Leader Philip Brave Davis, QC, condemned the attorney general for allowing the case to proceed.
Davis said, “The eyes of the public must also be on the Attorney General Senator Carl Bethel, who allowed this case to go forward, when he must have known the state of the evidence. It gives rise to the charge of malicious prosecution.”
He continued, “I am saddened by the fact that while justice has been served in this case, what of other people in our system who do not have the resources to take the fight all the way to the Privy Council?”
Copyright Bahamas Court News. All rights reserved.
You cannot copy content of this page
