When a murder case came up for hearing again today, the prosecutor told the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court No. 2 that he was not in possession of a file related to the matter.
He said his instructions were that the file was with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In the case, Kemal Akeem Yarde, 25, of 1st Avenue Rock Gap, Spooners Hill and Kemar Omar Yvonne Leacock, of Buckingham Road, Bank Hall, both in St Michael, are accused of murdering Jermaine Harper on July 30, 2014. The two went before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant.
In her address to the court, defence attorney Angella Mitchell-Gittens submitted that “the court needs to send a strong message when it comes to murder-accused . . . ”
“People have rights in this country and if a whole year had come and gone and not one witness has taken the stand, then where are we really going?” she asked.
The case “needs to be dismissed regardless of the charge and let the chips fall where they may”, the attorney stressed, asking for the matter to be dismissed for want of prosecution.
She said “the Crown has a duty to adjudicate these matters with expediency” and that responsibility is even greater “when the accused is in custody”.
Sergeant Neville Reid assured the court that he would “make every effort to update the court on the next occasion” as to what stage the DPP’s office is at.
Responding, Mitchell-Gittens said she has “been getting updates every 28 days for the past year”. Hearing that “the file is with the DPP’s office doesn’t assist us,” she concluded.
Both accused were remanded again until September 10.