Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
John McKenzie, 19, an attendant attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and two 15-year-olds, are charged with the murder of ‘Buckman’ (only name given) on November 17, last, at Lombard Street.
They were not required to plead to the indictable charge after it was read to them by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on November 23, last.
According to information, on the day in question, the teenagers saw ‘Buckman’ purchasing drugs from someone else and they dealt him several stabs about his body.
Recently, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) made a decision to charge McKenzie separately, for the offence and charge the juveniles jointly.
This move by the DPP, will see two separate preliminary Inquiries (PI) being conducted for the murder of ‘Buckman’.
The trial of the 15-year-olds will be one of the first to be conducted in the Children’s Courts.
Just recently, the Children’s Court was commissioned in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Magistrates Dylon Bess and Annette Singh are the two Magistrates that were chosen to preside over matters in the Children’s Court.
The Magistrates underwent months of intensive training in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States (US) to be able to preside in the Children’s Courts.