A very emotional and hurt Elroy Williams couldn’t lift his head after hearing he must serve prison time for attempted murder. Despite having only two years, seven months, and eleven days left behind bars, Williams, who had been separated from his wife, visited her in 2018 and ended up beating her new boyfriend with a two-by-four board. The boyfriend now suffers from chronic pain and severe headaches, conditions he must live with for the rest of his life. Williams had hoped for time being served or probation, but Justice Pilgrim ruled otherwise. Williams, a father, left court in tears, disappointed that he wouldn’t be returning to his family. Justice Pilgrim initially sentenced him to eight years, but after considering the use of a weapon and other factors, it increased to nine years. However, four years were deducted for mitigating factors, including Williams’ participation in rehabilitation programs and his genuine remorse. His sentence was further reduced for his early guilty plea and pretrial detention, leaving him with two years, seven months, and eleven days to serve. The incident occurred on January thirtieth, 2018, in Lords Bank Village. Michael Jones, thirty-three, was at his girlfriend’s house when Williams arrived. After a confrontation, Williams returned later with a two-by-four and attacked Jones, leaving him unconscious. Jones suffered severe injuries and has been dealing with the aftermath ever since. Williams admitted to causing the injuries but claimed he didn’t intend to harm Jones and even called an ambulance for him.
Six months ago, Ivan Ayuso, a former employee at the National Sports Council, admitted to laundering money and stealing over a million dollars from the organization. On Monday, Justice Nigel Pilgrim delivered his verdict in the High Court. During the forfeiture proceedings, Justice Pilgrim expressed hope that this case wouldn’t be the last of its kind, emphasizing Belize’s role in the global fight to eliminate the profits from crime. The forfeiture has left Ayuso and his ex-wife without their family home. Justice Pilgrim’s order outlined what will happen over the next six months. The house where Ayuso lived with his then-wife, Tanya Racquelle Savery, on Jack Fruit Crescent in Belama Phase 2, Belize City, is to be sold. The market value is nearly six hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars, with a forced sale value of around half-a-million dollars. From the sale, seventy percent will go to the government, and thirty percent to Ayuso’s ex-wife. As part of a plea deal, Ayuso agreed not to contest the forfeiture, allowing the Crown to take the house, which he had paid off using stolen money. Representing the Crown were Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn-Vidal, Crown Counsel Chanelle Fernandez, and Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Leni Ysaguirre-McCann, along with Janelle Thomas-Shorter from the FIU. Ayuso was represented by attorneys Darrell Bradley and Kimberly Wallace, while attorney Erin Quiroz represented Ayuso’s ex-wife as an interested party. The interested party can help find potential buyers for the property to ensure a timely sale. The FIU will handle the property’s maintenance, including security, utilities, repairs, and general upkeep until it’s sold. The FIU will also take immediate steps to sell the property. A Report Hearing is scheduled for September twenty-third to update the court on the progress of the sale. Ayuso appeared virtually from his cell at Belize Central Prison, where he is serving a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to theft and money laundering charges.
In late February, twenty-five-year-old Elroy Williams pleaded guilty to attempted murder. Back in 2018, Williams attacked his estranged wife’s boyfriend, thirty-three-year-old Michael Jones, with a two-by-four wooden plank in Lord’s Bank. Fast forward seven years, Williams is now hoping for a non-custodial sentence as he faces six years in prison. Today, the court held a mitigation plea where Williams asked for a second chance to be with his family. He brought in two character witnesses, his mother and sister, to vouch for his good character. In his final comments to the court, Williams expressed hope that Jones’ family could forgive him for his actions. Jones’ impact statement was read aloud in court, detailing how his life was forever changed after the brutal attack. He recounted being in a coma for days, suffering broken bones and severe swelling. Jones shared that his medical treatment was costly, and he was bedridden for months, unable to work. He said he wouldn’t wish his condition on anyone. Williams was initially out on bail but was placed on remand in 2024 after failing to appear in court. The trial judge is expected to hand down a sentence on Thursday.
Today, the Caribbean Court of Justice wrapped up a two-day hearing in a legal battle between the Government of Belize and four private liquified petroleum gas (LPG) companies. The government is challenging a 2024 Court of Appeal decision that found it violated the companies’ constitutional rights to work and property by preventing them from importing LPG into Belize. This dispute stems from a 2019 law that established National Gas Company Limited as the sole importer of LPG in the country. Senior counsels Eamon Courtenay, Edward Fitzgerald, Angeline Welch, and King’s Counsel Andrew Marshalleck represented the appellants. On the other side, Senior Counsels Godfrey Smith and Douglas Mendes appeared for the LPG companies. News Five’s Paul Lopez has more on this story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Over two days, the Caribbean Court of Justice listened to ten hours of arguments in the legal dispute between the Government of Belize and four private liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) companies. Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay kicked things off, making the first submissions on behalf of the Attorney General of Belize.
Eamon Courtenay
Eamon Courtenay, Attorney-At-Law
“There is an insinuation that government was acting on bad faith and ill will in seeking to put the respondents out of business. That is not so, the amendment act is a clear piece of evidence that the government was not intending to put them out of business. The government was intending to move the supply of LPG from road to sea that advance the purpose.”
In the early stages of the legal battle, when the four companies were up in arms over NGC’s operations, Parliament stepped in and amended the National Liquefied Petroleum Gas Project Act.
Eamon Courtenay
“The government leveled the playing field on the importation side and provided the right for someone to apply for a license to import LPG through an approved facility.”
However, the law only approves facilities with a storage capacity of one point five million gallons. The LPG companies argue that this requirement isn’t economically feasible for them. Attorney Douglas Mendes, representing his clients, claimed that while there’s an option for these companies to import through NGC’s facility, it’s just a pretense.
Douglas Mendez
Douglas Mendez, Attorney-At-Law
“By imposing impossible or commercial unviable conditions on entering the market you in effect maintain the monopoly. That is the point, because the monopoly still exists, because you have on the face of it, it is written in the act that you are permitted entry, but you really can’t because it is financially prohibitive as the evidence states to build the one point five million dollars plant and it would not may any sense to have us import through the NGC terminal when that relationship is totally unregulated.”
When the National Gas Company Limited was established, a decision was taken to import LPG exclusively by sea from the U.S to the company’s port facility. This brought an end to the trucking system that the private companies had in place. Attorney for the appellants, Senior Counsel Angeline Welch, argued that this approach decreases the risk supply shortages, provides for cheaper gas, and places the supply chain in the hands of Belizeans.
Angeline Welch
Angeline Welch, Attorney-At-Law
“The LPG was shipped to ports in Guatemala and Honduras and El Salvador, and it was trucked into Belize. By the time it was trucked into Belize the end costumer in Belize was Mount Belview price and the cost of those terminals and the transportation and any profit arrangements. The supply chain was operated and controlled by sister companies of the LPG companies. So those cost for the terminal and transportation and any other profit that was made was for that oligarchy which existed before the legislation.”
But the attorney for the four companies, Godfrey Smith, argues that the move violates his clients’ right to work.
Godfrey Smith
Godfrey Smith, Attorney-At-Law
“The right is hindered. It is fettered. What the constitution guarantees to the respondents is that you have an unfettered, unhindered right to engage in a business or trade that you freely choose. So that they freely choose importation. At the end of the day we have lost wholesale business, forty-five percent of that. And that is an aspect of the business that you have a right to freely engage in.”
After a long nine-hour hearing, Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay wrapped up his remarks to the court by addressing Mendes’ claim that the new law is just for show.
Eamon Courtenay
“Mr. Mendez took the liberty of alleging that the act and amendment was a pretense by the government to fake the fact that it was opening the market. A simple read of the legislation will show that it was the intention of the government to liberate the market on the conditions set out there. There is absolutely no basis to support the allegation, and I urge this court to reject it out of hand.”
In his closing statement, Mendes requested that the court consider the playing field is leveled.
Douglas Mendes
“Has the legislation treated the respondents and NGC in an even-handed manner? That is basically what I am asking. You have to look at what are the attributes relative to meeting the requirements of a one point five-million-gallon storage plant. What are the comparable circumstances relative to that requirement and the answer is they have all the benefits.”
Six days after five fishermen and a pastor from Burrell Boom were allegedly caught in Orange Walk with one thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven grams of cocaine in a gold Dodge Caravan, the pastor has been released, but the fishermen are still behind bars. They’re waiting for another bail hearing, set for Friday, March twenty-eighth, 2025, and Monday, March thirty-first, 2025, in the High Court of Justice Nigel Pilgrim. The delay happened because the court didn’t have all the necessary documents to consider their bail. The fishermen have two separate attorneys. Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson represents Lerman Norman Leslie and Ronyer Alexander Cruz, while David McKoy represents Freddy Estuardo Chavez, Angel Aragon, Marvin Teul, and Christian and Merilyn White. Outside the courtroom, heartbroken families waited anxiously for good news, only to leave disappointed when the case was adjourned. Inside, Justice Pilgrim first heard from Attorney Sampson, who argued for Leslie’s bail. However, the judge couldn’t proceed without the case facts, which neither Sampson nor the Crown’s representative, Alifah Elrington, had. Elrington explained that the prosecutor handling the case was unavailable. Justice Pilgrim then heard from Attorney McKoy, who had the case facts but agreed that an adjournment was fair to ensure all parties had the necessary documents. The bail hearing for Leslie and Cruz is now set for Friday, March twenty-eighth, 2025, while the hearing for the other four fishermen is on Monday, March thirty-first, 2025, due to McKoy’s availability. The fishermen were initially arraigned on March nineteenth, 2025, for possession of the quantity of cocaine. The bust happened around seven p.m. in Orange Walk, with Pastor Mark Anthony Humes driving the gold Dodge Caravan. One fisherman later cleared Pastor Humes, stating he was just hired to transport them for one hundred and seventy-five dollars and had no knowledge of the drugs. As a result, charges against Humes were dropped on March twenty-first, 2025. The fishermen’s case will continue in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court on May twenty-second, 2025.
Today, the bail application for Travis Flowers, a senior Belize City Council employee of seventeen years, was brought before the High Court of Justice Nigel Pilgrim. However, despite being properly lodged, the application couldn’t be heard. When the case, claim #118 of 2025, was called up as the eighth bail application on a list of over 12, Crown representative Alifah Elrington requested to be recused. She explained that she knows both the accused, Travis Flowers, and the alleged victim, Calvin Cumberbatch. Elrington asked for an adjournment until Friday, March 28, 2025, when the original prosecutor, Dercene Staine, would be available. Justice Pilgrim granted the adjournment, meaning Flowers’ bail application will be heard then. Flowers, who was denied bail and is currently remanded at the Belize Central Prison, appeared virtually from his cell. His attorney, Leeroy Banner, also appeared virtually. Banner submitted an affidavit on behalf of his client, stating that Flowers, who was charged on March 9, 2025, with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm, was arraigned on March 11, 2025, and denied bail. Flowers, a 45-year-old City Council Enforcement Officer with an unblemished record and no prior convictions, is the father of one daughter. Banner argued that Flowers should be granted bail due to special circumstances. According to the affidavit, Flowers claimed he was first attacked by Cumberbatch, who punched him in the face. A struggle ensued, during which Cumberbatch tried to take Flowers’ gun. The gun fell to the ground, and both men fought for it. Flowers managed to regain possession of the gun and, fearing for his life, shot Cumberbatch in self-defense.
After spending two nights on remand and a total of four days in lockdown following his arrest and charge for possession with intent to supply one thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven grams of cocaine, Pastor Mark Anthony Humes from Burrell Boom Village is now a free man. This morning, just before ten, Pastor Humes, accompanied by his attorney Lynden Jones, had the charge withdrawn. We asked his attorney what led to this decision as he exited the courtroom. Outside, Pastor Humes’ wife and family supporters were overjoyed to embrace him. While Pastor Humes chose not to speak on the matter, his attorney explained that further investigation by the Belize Police Department revealed new information, leading them to drop the charge. Meanwhile, the six fishermen who were co-accused remain on remand at the Belize Central Prison, awaiting bail at the High Court. They have sought legal advice from Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson, who has begun the bail application process for them. On Wednesday, March nineteenth, 2025, Pastor Humes was arrested along with Lerman Norman Leslie, Freddy Estuardo Chavez, Angel Aragon, Marvin Teul, Ronyer Alexander Cruz, and Christian Merilyn White, following a bust in Orange Walk Town. Police say that around seven PM, officers from the Mobile Interdiction Team (MIT) and Highway Interdiction Team (HIT) intercepted a gold Dodge Caravan driven by Pastor Humes. He had been hired to transport the six fishermen from Belize City to Orange Walk, but the vehicle was intercepted before reaching its destination.
A father was tragically killed in the Faber’s Road area, caught in the crossfire of a gang rivalry. Within days, police arrested and charged the alleged shooter, thirty-one-year-old Lawrence Anthony Polonio, also known as ‘Makala,’ a laborer from Faber’s Road. This morning, around nine, Polonio was escorted to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where he was read a single charge of murder at 9:42 in Court #1. Polonio is accused of murdering forty-one-year-old Rafael Caceres, a father of four, who was gunned down at home on Sunday, March ninth, 2025. Polonio, who appeared unrepresented before Chief Magistrate Jayani Wegodapola, did not enter a plea. Due to the severity of the charge, he was denied bail and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until May thirteenth, 2025. On that fateful Sunday, Caceres was resting on a sofa at the entrance of his home after coming back from work. As he slept, a gunman ran up the stairway and opened fire, despite Caceres’ three-year-old daughter standing just a foot away. The gunman fled the scene, leaving Caceres fatally wounded. His common-law wife, who was inside the house, heard the shots and saw the shooter but couldn’t stop him. Police believe Caceres, who was not involved in gang activities, was not the intended target. He became a casualty when the gunman couldn’t find his brothers, who had been detained the day before due to the gang rivalry in the area. Rafael, however, was not part of the gang issue.
Over the weekend, police made an arrest for one of the city’s murders and charged a man in connection with another shooting that left a Belize City Council employee injured. Travis Flowers, forty-five, was detained after allegedly trying to kill his co-worker, Calvin Cumberbatch, a Transport Evaluator for the Belize City Council. The incident happened in broad daylight on Orange Street on Saturday around 2:45 p.m. Flowers, a coordinator with the Belize City Council’s Enforcement Department, appeared in court this morning before Chief Magistrate Jayani Wegodapola. He faced three serious charges: attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm against Cumberbatch. The shooting stemmed from an altercation between the two men. According to police reports, Cumberbatch was walking on West Street when a black SUV tried to run him over. The driver, who turned out to be Flowers, got out of the vehicle, and the two exchanged words. Flowers allegedly tried to punch Cumberbatch, who defended himself and punched Flowers back. Flowers then reportedly pulled out his licensed firearm and shot Cumberbatch twice, injuring his shoulder and abdomen. Cumberbatch told police he was unarmed and tried to hide from Flowers, who continued to pursue him until neighbors intervened. Police later found Flowers on Vernon Street with his Glock pistol, which has since been confiscated. The investigation is ongoing as the police try to determine the motive behind the attack.
“Police responded to a shooting incident at Orange Street in Belize City. Upon their arrival, they saw Calvin Cumberbatch with gunshot injuries. He was taken to the KHMH for treatment. Investigation revealed that Calvin Cumberbatch had a dispute with Travis Flowers, they got into a fight and thereafter, Travis Flowers went into his vehicle pulled out a firearm and fired shots at Calvin Cumberbatch causing his injuries. Efforts were made and Calvin Flowers was located and his license firearm was seized. He has since been arrested and charged for the crimes of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm. Calvin Cumberbatch is at the KHMH in a stable condition. It was after the fight that he went into the vehicle and retrieved the firearm. He did not pull it out there and then, he went for the firearm and then fired the shots. So he has been charged for the three crimes I mentioned.”
Reporter
“Would that be justified as self-defense?”
Travis Flowers
Hilberto Romero
“Since it is not there and then, he went, got the firearm, then he came and fired the shots.”
Reporter
“Do you know the nature of the dispute they’ve been having?”
Hilberto Romero
“The incident that occurred on that day, I think they were quarreling over a dog and that led to the shooting.”
Tonight, a mother of five is out on bail after the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, filed a report against her under the Cyber Crime Act. This led to her detention since Friday and charges for using a computer system to spread a false statement. The accused, thirty-seven-year-old Nichole Gilda McDonald, spent four nights in detention before appearing in court this morning without a lawyer. McDonald, a matron at the Youth Cadet Corp and resident of Antelope Street, Belize City, is accused of posting a false statement on March fifth, intending to harm Commissioner Williams. McDonald pleaded not guilty and explained that she was only commenting on a statement made by her party leader about Belize being a narco state. She insisted she meant no harm and was merely responding to what was happening in Cayo. The magistrate informed McDonald of the severe penalties for the offense, which include a fine of ten thousand dollars and up to five years in prison. McDonald explained that she and the Commissioner are Facebook friends and that she was responding to a message from her leader. The magistrate advised her to save her explanations for the trial. McDonald, a mother of five, shared that she is under distress as two of her children’s fathers have died. The prosecutor did not object to bail, and the magistrate granted it at one thousand dollars, with one surety of the same amount. Conditions of her bail include staying away from Commissioner Williams and his family, avoiding further legal trouble, and staying off Facebook. McDonald is due back in court on May fourteenth, 2025.
