News Briefs

PNP activist escapes jail time

People’s National Party (PNP) activist Alston Stewart has escaped jail time in Trinidad and Tobago after after several rounds of ammunition and a magazine were reportedly found in his luggage in the twin island republic last Thursday.

Stewart was instead reprimanded when he appeared in court.

Stewart, who was discharged on Monday, will not have a criminal record against his name in that country.

He was held overnight at a police station in Trinidad and Tobago after the items were found in his luggage last week.

Stewart had appeared in court last Friday and was offered bail.

The well-known PNP activist was in Trinidad and Tobago en route to Guyana when the incident unfolded.

 

 

JDF assures Bahamas of continued help in recovery efforts

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC):

The chief of defence staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Lieutenant General Rocky Meade has assured The Bahamas that Jamaica will continue to assist the country in its recovery efforts in any way possible.

On Wednesday, Meade visited the 119-member JDF contingent in the Abaco Islands, who were deployed as part of CARICOM's contribution to the hurricane relief effort in the northern Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

Meade encouraged the troops, who have been contributing to the relief efforts by assisting with distribution of supplies, major clean-up of the Leonard Thompson International Airport, damage assessments, and bridge and building repairs.

Meade was also taken on a brief tour of the hurricane-damaged areas.

 

 

Still no breakthrough in case of murdered lawyer

The police investigating the murder of 31-year-old attorney-at-law Sashakay Fairclough on September 13 in Ocho Rios, St Ann, are yet to establish a motive for the killing.

Commander for the St Ann Police Division, Senior Superintendent Calvin Small, said on Wednesday that investigations are ongoing as the police seek to make a breakthrough in the case but “as far as the case is concerned, there is nothing further at this time".

Fairclough was shot and killed and her mother seriously injured in a gun attack on her SUV as she drove to her home in Brook Green in the resort town.

The killing sent shockwaves across Ocho Rios and adjoining communities and drew condemnation from the legal fraternity in the parish.

Meanwhile, efforts to get an update on the condition of Fairclough’s mother were unsuccessful.

Carl Gilchrist

 

 

Barbados considers 'evening courts' to tackle caseload

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

The Barbados government has hinted at the possibility of having “evening courts” as it relates to the magistracy.

Attorney general and minister of legal affairs, Dale Marshall, says attention will be paid to the magistracy in the coming weeks.

“We have to come up with some new responses to allow our Magistrates’ Courts to function more efficiently. Now that we have put things in place to solve matters in the High Court, we will turn our attention to the Magistrates’ Courts,” he said.

Marshall said that those responses will include “swelling the ranks of the magistracy” and having magistrates who will work in shifts.

“We are going to have to look seriously at the question of evening courts as it relates to the magistracy. We have a small number of magistrates, but every year, about 22,000 cases get filed in the Magistrates’ Courts,” he said.

The Attorney General noted that the government has held fast to its commitment to increase the size of the judiciary in Barbados in a bid to improve the movement of cases through the judicial system.