Chester Myujah Bedminister of Grand Bay walked a free man from the high court in Roseau on Friday, June 14 2019 after a nine-member jury found him not guilty of murder and also of manslaughter.
He had spent the last four years behind bars awaiting his trial.
Bedminister was charged for the death of Presley Fontaine in 2015 after he struck him with a block on his head. Fontaine had gone to the Grand Bay Health Center to seek medical attention but received none so he went to his home. He was found dead in his house the next day.
During the trial which last over a month because of issues in the jury room Bedminister speaking from the prison’s dock in an unsworn statement, told the court that he was very sorry that Fontaine had died but he never intended to kill him.
The State’s case led by State attorney Sherma Dyrample and assisted by Ann Riviere and Diana Matthew was that Bedminister used the block to “willfully murder Fontaine.”
However, his lawyers Peter Alleyne and Tiyani Behanzin claim that their client was “provoked” and acted in self-defense and that had the deceased received medical attention he would not have died. The pathologist report stated that “blunt force trauma”
“Peter did a fantastic job in the case, we had technical difficulties and we are pleased with the verdict arrived at by the jury. The police was not able to prove its case since after the blow he went home etc,” Behanzin stated.
A happy Bedminister told the press it’s now back to driving his vehicles. “I feel very happy about it I want to thank my lawyers Mr. Alleyne and Mr. Behanzin very much and my good friend Biggy at the prison. I was just patient, the prison officers I want to thank them for treating me good over the years and I my friends at the prison. It’s now back to driving my truck and bus now and starting myself again. I want to tell the police to do their investigations better before they arrest and charge people,” he said.
This article is copyright © 2019 DOM767
