Two Belize City Men Must Stand Trial for Kidnapping

Tonight, things didn’t go well for two Belizean men in their kidnapping and wounding case. They tried to strike a deal with the crown, hoping to plead guilty to wounding instead of kidnapping a fifteen-year-old back in 2021. But after asking for a sentencing indication, they found out the crown wasn’t having it. So, the case is heading to trial, and they’ll have to take their chances in the High Court. The men in question are thirty-three-year-old Oliver Sutherland and twenty-four-year-old Elvin Smith, a fisherman from East Collet Canal. They were initially charged in 2021 with wounding, kidnapping, and harming a minor. Allegedly, on March twelfth, 2021, they kidnapped the fifteen-year-old and injured him. This morning, their case was called up in the High Court before Justice Derick Sylvester. The duo, represented by attorney Leeroy Banner, entered plea discussions with Crown Counsel Glenford Dennison. However, after some back-and-forth, they couldn’t agree. The men wanted to plead guilty to wounding, hoping for time served and a chance to go home, but the crown insisted on a kidnapping plea. With no agreement in sight, Justice Sylvester set the trial date for January twentieth, 2025. Their attorney then requested bail. Smith got lucky and was granted bail, but Sutherland wasn’t as fortunate. Smith, who had been unable to post his twenty-five-thousand-dollar bail since 2021, was granted bail at ten thousand dollars, with conditions. He must report to the Queen Street Police Station every Friday and attend all court dates. Sutherland, on the other hand, had his bail revoked earlier for violating its terms and remains in prison. The judge explained that Sutherland could file a written application for bail consideration. If convicted of kidnapping, the men face between ten years to life, with time served potentially reducing their sentence to around six years. Sutherland has been on remand for over a year, while Smith has been incarcerated for nearly four years.