April 20 trial for accused who burned woman to death
Published:Saturday | January 18, 2020 | 12:26 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Nichala Facey, the St James man who allegedly killed an elderly woman by setting her on fire last April, will have his case committed to the St James Circuit Court for trial on April 20.
Facey, who is charged with murder in relation to the death of 74-year-old Evelyn Blair, was given his Circuit Court date when he appeared before Judge Sandria Wong-Small in the St James Parish Court on Friday. He was subsequently remanded.
In handing down her ruling for committal, Wong-Small told Facey’s lawyer, Shelly-Ann Hyman, that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence for the case to be tried in the higher court.
“I have read the document bundle that’s been submitted by the prosecution in this matter, and I will be committing the matter to the Circuit Court because, having read the bundle, I am satisfied that a prima facie case (where sufficient evidence is present for trial) has been made out against Mr Facey that is not triable in the jurisdiction of this court,” said Wong-Small.
Hyman made no submissions on Facey’s behalf during the hearing, though she acknowledged receipt of documents from the prosecution in relation to the case.
The allegations against Facey are that at approximately 3 a.m. on April 25, 2018, Blair was in her one-bedroom house at Lima district in St James when the defendant broke in and tried to rape her. However, Blair managed to chase him off with a machete.
Later that morning, at approximately 6:30, Facey reportedly approached Blair along the roadway and doused her with a flammable liquid before setting her ablaze. Blair sustained burns over 98 per cent of her body and was rushed to Cornwall Regional Hospital, where she died two days later.
Facey subsequently turned himself over to the police on June 4. He was pointed out in an identification parade on June 8 and charged the following day.