Bahamas Court News

NASSAU- Double murder accused Lloyd Minnis is back in custody after a magistrate revoked his bail on gun and drug charges.

Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans wasn’t aware that Minnis was on bail for the 2017 murders of eight-year-old Eugene Woodside and Dennis Moss when he appeared before her last week.

The child’s heartbroken mom criticised the court system in a Facebook live video after Bahamas Court News revealed exclusively how Minnis was freed on bail once again.

A judge first granted 29-year-old Minnis $50,000 bail for the murders in March 2018. But he cut off his ankle bracelet and authorities lost track of him for four months.

As a result of his brazen bail breach, the judge revoked Minnis’ bail in December 2018.

However, prosecutors still haven’t tried Minnis for the murders. Prosecutors allege that Eugene was killed by a stray bullet while Minnis shot at Moss, his intended target.

As a result of the delay, the judge lowered Minnis’ bail to $20,000. Once again, he had to wear an ankle bracelet pending trial.

Minnis appeared before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans on the latest charges on October 7.

Prosecutors allege that Minnis, his girlfriend, Antoinette McPhee, and Lavandro Paul, were found in possession of a Glock 21 pistol, a Mossberg shotgun, nine rounds of .40 ammunition, six shotgun shells and the marijuana.

They all pleaded not guilty. McPhee is now the only defendant in the case on bail. As a condition of her $17,000 bail, she’s outfitted with ankle bracelets until the conclusion on their trial that is set to begin on December 9.

However, Paul and Minnis can apply for bail in the Supreme Court.

NASSAU- A woman is accused of breaking her girlfriend’s arm in a domestic dispute.

Willneka Demeritte faces a charge of grievous harm in the October 5 incident.

Prosecutors allege Demeritte shoved the woman, who fell and broke her arm.

Demeritte, 29, of West End Avenue, denied the charge at her arraignment before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis.

She was granted $8,500 bail on the condition that she has no contact with her alleged victim.

Demeritte is next due to appear in court on December 8.

NASSAU- A tourist with a medical marijuana prescription has been fined $500 for ganja possession.

Anibal Rivera, 56, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was returning home when authorities found one gram of marijuana in his luggage on October 11.

Rivera pleaded guilty to possession of dangerous drugs at his arraignment.

He said he didn’t know his actions were illegal in The Bahamas because he had a valid medical marijuana card.

Magistrate Kendra Kelly ordered Rivera to pay the fine to avoid a one-month prison sentence.

NASSAU- A man caught red handed breaking down a statue of Christopher Columbus says he’s not crazy.

Despite Shervandaze Smith’s insistence that he’s of sound mind, Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt has ordered a psychiatric evaluation.

Smith, 37, who calls himself Michael The Archangel, was using a sledgehammer to tear down the statue on Government House grounds when police arrived.

In a viral video of the October 9 incident, Smith lay prostrate and put his hands behind his back when he saw the officers.

The Chief Magistrate said she wasn’t sure that Smith was fit to plead to charges of trespassing and causing damage.

As a result, she remanded him to prison for a mental testing.

The Magistrate said that she sent Smith to prison because Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre has a moratorium on new admissions.

As far as Smith is concerned, the evaluation isn’t necessary.

He told the court, “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

According to Smith, he’d worked as personal butler at an all-inclusive resort. He also said he moved out of his mother’s house because she was telling people he was crazy.

Smith’s next court appearance is November 15.

FLORIDA- Notorious drug-boat captain Lothario Dion Rose was sentenced to 39 months in U.S. federal prison for smuggling marijuana on the high seas.

Rose, 47, tried to ram the U.S. Coast Guard vessel as his three Jamaican crew members tossed bales of ganja overboard on July 5, 2020.

Authorities disabled Rose’s Jamaican-registered go-fast boat with gunfire. They boarded the vessel and seized 3,904 pounds of marijuana, inclusive of the jettisoned drugs.

The drug bust happened 45 nautical miles west of the south claw of Haiti.

However, U.S. authorities assumed jurisdiction after Jamaican officials waived their rights over the vessel.

Rose, who’s also known as Dion “Buju” Minnis, has multiple convictions in The Bahamas for drug trafficking.

In spite of his criminal history, Rose’s lawyer, Albert Levin, claimed that his client had “never been arrested anywhere in his life.”

According to Levin, Rose “went to Jamaica to find work as he was food insecure in The Bahamas.” While in Jamaica, his co-defendant, Michael Vaccianna, offered a him job to smuggle drugs, Levin claimed.

Levin said that Rose dropped out of school in fifth grade and “could barely read and write English.”

Rose, Vaccianna, Louis Gowie, and Dewan McCook all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute a controlled substance on board a vessel.

Vaccianna received a 40-month prison sentence; Gowie got 36 months and McCook was sentenced to 32 months.