Category: Trials

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.

Tonight, interdicted police officer Jairo Daniel Amador, who was convicted of extortion on October thirty-first, is home with his family after being granted bail pending sentencing. His sentencing was delayed today before Justice Derick Sylvester. The mitigation plea was scheduled for this morning at nine a.m., but Amador’s attorney, Norman Rodriguez, explained to the court that he had trouble contacting character witnesses. Given that the Crown’s submission for sentencing suggested a fine, Justice Sylvester asked if they objected to granting bail to Amador, considering the delay wasn’t his fault. With no objections, Justice Sylvester set bail at five thousand dollars with one surety. Amador’s case is now adjourned for mitigation plea and sentencing on January twenty-fourth, 2025. On October thirty-first, Amador, a former member of the Belize Police Department, was found guilty of extortion by a nine-member jury. He was accused of shaking down a Canadian tourist at a checkpoint in Hattieville, claiming she had no insurance for her rental vehicle and would be jailed until Monday unless she paid a “donation.” Frightened, the tourist handed over a hundred US dollars, which Amador took before letting her and her husband go. Police were informed shortly after, leading to the discovery of the money in Amador’s holster and his subsequent charge of extortion. The jury deliberated for less than four hours before finding him guilty. Amador, who had been out on bail, saw it revoked by Justice Sylvester and had been on remand pending sentencing.

Forty-seven-year-old Joshua Ashburn, an American living in Belize, is in even deeper trouble tonight after being slapped with multiple charges for alleged immigration offenses. On Monday, November eighteenth, Ashburn’s business, Double Zero on Western Avenue, was raided by officers who found a large stash of cannabis, a firearm, ammunition, and various immigration documents. While he’s already been arraigned and remanded for drug trafficking and firearms possession, today he was hit with five counts of possessing false documents and five counts of preparation for crime. Earlier this week, Ashburn’s common-law wife, Xochil Lopez, was also remanded at the Belize Central Prison, facing four criminal charges related to the bust two Mondays ago.

After nearly a week behind bars, bus conductor Evan Cain is a free man again, having avoided a three-year prison sentence for assaulting a traffic officer. On November twenty-sixth, a video surfaced on social media showing traffic officer Kenrick Deshield being physically assaulted by up to three people on a bus in Belize City, which had been flagged for carrying too many standees. Thirty-one-year-old Evan Cain, also known as “Sweet Bwai Cain,” was identified as the person who shoved Deshield off the bus. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was remanded to prison. Today, Cain was brought back to court and allowed to apologize to Deshield. He told the officer, “I am sorry I interrupted you while you were doing your duties. I understand I made an error. It won’t happen again.” Typically, offenses like this carry a three-year prison sentence. However, the Magistrate considered that Cain was a first-time offender and showed remorse. He was fined one thousand, three hundred dollars, plus a five-dollar fee, which he must pay by March fourth, 2025. If he fails to pay, he will face a one-year prison sentence.