Court of Appeal reserves decision in the case of Gregory August

The Court of Appeal on Thursday also reserved its decision in the case of twenty-six year old Gregory August. August was convicted of the May 2009 death of seventy-three year old Alvin Robinson in Western Paradise at mile eight on the George Price Highway. Robinson, who was physically disabled and blind in one eye, was stabbed nine times to the face and neck and found clinging to life on his bed. He died while en route to receive treatment. In the court of Justice Adolph Lucas, a jury convicted August in November of 2012 on circumstantial evidence, including reports that August had recent violent confrontations with Robinson’s grandchildren and was heard threatening them. Police investigators also presented a tennis shoe and shirt belonging to August that had blood on them that matched Robinson’s blood type.  But Belize does not have the capability to test the DNA of the collected blood samples to see that they did in fact match Robinson’s. Attorney Anthony Sylvestre, who replaced the late original trial attorney Lionel Welch, argued that the circumstantial evidence was insufficient in itself to tie his client to the crime and that Justice Lucas failed to properly direct the jury on the legal concept of “joint enterprise.” The Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal responded for that office. A decision will be given at a later date.