26
19 JUN
THE BELIZE TIMES
2016
Shane Gillett acquitted of Samuel Price’s murder Belize City, Wednesday, June 15, 2016 31 year old Shane Gillett, the man accused of the murder of Samuel Price, 84, the brother of Belize National Hero Rt. Hon. George Price, walked out of the Supreme Court this morning, free of the murder indictment. On Tuesday, June 7, Leroy Banner, the court-appointed attorney who represented Gillett, delivered his closing address to Justice Lucas. The trial was one without a jury. Crown Counsel Portia StaineFerguson, who led the prosecution’s evidence against Gillett called eight witnesses, before she closed her case and delivered her closing address on June 2. Gillett was arrested by Ladyville Police on September 4, 2011, for the April 16, 2011 murder of Samuel Price, who had been found by one of his nephews, Clement Usher, bludgeoned to death inside his home near Mile 5, just off the Halover Bridge, on the Philip Goldson Highway. Gillett’s arrest came about after he allegedly confessed to committing the murder on August 30, 2011 when he had a conversation with one of his Burrell Boom neighbors, Natalie Hyde, who he reportedly told that he was the one who had murdered “the old man by the Halouver Bridge.” When he was in the custody of
Ladyville Police, Gillett gave police a caution statement but it was the method of obtaining that statement that got him off the hook. During his testimony, Gillett told the court that the Police forced him to confess to the murder. The evidence that came out also revealed that prior to giving them his statement, Gillett was not fed for over 36 hours. Three police officers from the Ladyville Police Station admitted to this under cross examination from Gillett’s defense attorney. In delivering his judgment, Justice Lucas found that what Hyde said on the witness stand was not what she had given to police in her written statement. He concluded that she was a witness whose account of Gillett’s confession was unreliable. The judge said he did not believe Hyde’s excuse that the police had not written down what she was telling them. Justice Lucas also found that the Police who took the caution statement from Gillett had not acted properly in the taking of that statement. Justice Lucas found that Corporal Clarke Sergeant Lino had not acted in conformity with Section 90 Subsection (1) of the Evidence Act in the taking of the caution statement from Gillett, which the judge said “was taken under stressful circumstanc-
Shane Gillett es” and as a consequence it was not freely given, and as such it was inadmissible. To buttress the point about the inadmissibility of the caution statement, Justice Lucas cited a 1981 Privy Council case as persuasive authority in the taking of caution statement from persons in police custody. Several members of Price’s family have been attending the trial which began three weeks ago. Outside the courtroom today, a member of Price family who had followed the case, Dolores Balderamos Garcia, told the BELIZE TIMES that the Court made it clear that due to the Police’s incompetence the accused was acquitted.
Burley Card remanded for unlawful sex with minor Belize City Monday June 13, 2016 Burley Card was remanded to the Belize Central Prison today after he was arraigned on five counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who was 15-years and 8-months-old. The legal age of consent in Belize is 16 years. Anyone below that age cannot legally consent to sexual intercourse. Police charged Card the five counts of unlawful sexual intercourse after the minor and her mother reported to the police that between last November and May this year, Card engaged in unlawful intercourse with the minor, who is a high school student. No plea was taken from Card, who told the court that his last name was “Murphy” and not Card. Card begged Magistrate Deborah Rogers not to send him to prison because his girlfriend is about to give birth. The accused man also complained that he was being set up, and that the Police did not hear his side of the story when he was taken into custody. Magistrate Rogers, however, explained to Card that she cannot do anything for him because her hands
National Security 101
Continued from page 19 the huge public debt continues to hang around the Belizean’s collective necks and the economic challenges of the agro industry place Belize in the crosshairs of an economic disaster. Compounding the economic problem is the serious situation of influxes of migrant labour and political refugees. Internal dissent is rife amongst the citizens of Belize who are becoming displaced in the world of work resulting from the Government sponsored migration situation from the neighbouring countries of Central America. As Belize continues the uphill battle with Guatemala no amount of “pachanga” will alleviate the situation. Guatemala has a long history of vacillating on engagements of sorts held by the OAS. Historically, Guatemala has kept Belize in a state of political limbo using their claim as a prodding rod. At the celebrating of Sovereigns Day/ Commonwealth Day it is hoped that the Rt. Honorable Dean Barrow heed the advice of the Heads of Nations of the Commonwealth. Small states like Belize “should look initially to the United Nations for support in helping to prevent aggression, instead of dismissing the United Nations option at the outset as so many of them do at present and wait until after a conflict has erupted before seeking its assistance”. Mr. Barrow why have you waited so long, the time to save Belize is NOW!
Queen of the Bay 1946 to 2016 - in unbroken line 70th Year Anniversary Queen of the Bay Pageant 2016
Her Graciousness, the reigning Queen of the Bay, Falon Tiana Cain, invites Belizean young women between the ages of 18 and 23 to participate in the Queen of the Bay Pageant to be held on Saturday, 27th August 2016 at 7:00 pm at The Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts.
Burley Card are tied and that her court cannot offer him bail. She explained to him that he could get bail from the Supreme Court and advised that he should hire an attorney to assist him. A doctor’s examination confirmed that the minor has been carnally known and the doctor classified her injuries as grievous harm.
Interested young women, please call 223-4465 or 615-9494 or go pick up an application at CRAVINZ Fast Food Restaurant at 1 ½ Miles Philip Goldson Highway, Belize City, Monday to Saturday 11am-2pm or 4pm-8pm. Deadline for submission of completed applications is on Friday, June 17, 2016. Ms. Zenaida Moya Pageant Coordinator Celebrating the 218th Anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye and the 35th Anniversary of the Independence of Belize.
Queen of the Bay Secretariat Belize City – Cell No. 615-9494