Judge won't put off 2006 murder case anymore
Published:Tuesday | April 29, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator
A warning was issued yesterday by Senior Puisne Judge Gloria Smith that no further adjournment would be granted to the prosecution in the murder trial of three men and a woman whose case has been on the Home Circuit Court list since 2006.
They are charged with the murder of Lenford 'Steve' Harvey, a Jamaica AIDS Support coordinator who was robbed and murdered on November 30, 2005.
When the case came for trial yesterday, the defence lawyers complained that they were not served with all the relevant documents in the case.
Smith ordered the prosecution to make full disclosure by May 2 and set the case for trial on May 19.
"This case has been going on for far too long and has reached the point where something must happen," the judge remarked.
The accused men are Dwayne Owen, André West and Ryan Wilson, who have been in custody for the last eight years, and Chevaughn Gibson, who is on bail.
Harvey was abducted from his home by gunmen who robbed him of several items, including his debit card, and then shot him. Harvey's body was found on November 30, 2005.
Following an investigation, the four accused were arrested and charged with murder in the course or furtherance of robbery.
WITNESSES BOUND OVER
The witnesses, including 10 police officers and two civilians who turned up for the trial, were bound over.
West is also charged jointly with Lynford Allen for the murder of 28-year-old financial analyst Jaime Lue.
The case was also mentioned yesterday and another mention date set for May 19.
Allen has been offered bail but has not yet taken it.
Attorney-at-law C.J. Mitchell, who is representing West, told the court that he would be making a bail application on May 5 for West in relation to that case.
It is being alleged that the accused men abducted Lue in 2005 and took him to the Grants Pen area of St Andrew. They forced him to give them the personal identification numbers for his debit cards.
Withdrawals were made from automated teller machines at several banks.