UTech student’s murder accused gets new court date

WESTERN BUREAU:

Rahjif Morgan, the man charged with the January 5 murder of University of Technology (UTech) student Demar Stennett in Montego Bay, had his bail extended to March 27 when he appeared in the St James Parish Court yesterday.

The 27-year-old of Porto Bello in St James was given the new date by Judge Sandria Wong-Small. At his next court appearance, Morgan will receive a committal hearing date for the case to be transferred to the St James Circuit Court.

During yesterday’s mention of Morgan’s case, the court was told that the scene-of-crime certificate was outstanding from the prosecution’s case file. It was also disclosed that the clerk of the court had just received several other documents and needed time to read them.

Stennett was stabbed to death along Merriam Way, near Westgate Hills in Montego Bay, on January 5. His murder was the first recorded in St James for 2019.

It is alleged that at approximately 7 a.m. on the day of the murder, soldiers assigned to the zone of special operations, in Mt Salem were patrolling along Merriam Way when they saw Morgan standing beside a parked car.

When questioned by the soldiers, Morgan reportedly told them that the vehicle had broken down. However, his behaviour and several wounds on his face aroused the soldiers’ suspicions, and when they attempted to approach him, he ran into nearby bushes.

It is further alleged that the soldiers chased and caught Morgan, who engaged them in a fistfight before being subdued. He was then brought back to the car, where the members of the Jamaica Defence Force discovered a bloody knife. He subsequently led them to nearby bushes, where Stennett’s body was found.