Milton McKinney, who is accused of murder a webshop employee, and who asked the court if he could be placed in protective custody as he fears for his life.
By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN, in fear for his life, repeated his lawyers’ request to a magistrate for protective custody when arraigned yesterday in connection with the fatal shooting of a webshop courier in Pinewood Gardens.
He was one of three men arraigned yesterday in connection with two separate murders.
Moments after 19-year-old Milton McKinney was arraigned before Magistrate Andrew Forbes in connection with the murder of the A Sure Win webshop employee Prince Prudent, his lawyers Ian Cargill and Michael Kemp claimed death threats were made against their client and sought a special arrangement for him at Her Majesty’s Prison.
Magistrate Forbes said he would speak to the head of the prison to see what could be done before remanding the accused.
McKinney, of Cowpen Road, was allowed to hug his sobbing mother outside the courtroom before being taken to a holding cell to await transport to the Fox Hill facility.
On August 11, shortly after 8:30am, Prudent was driving his Honda Civic vehicle east on Sapodilla Boulevard. He had just collected deposit bags from the establishment in Nassau Village and was being followed by a second car providing security.
As he approached the junction of Willow Tree Avenue, three men in a gold coloured Honda overtook him and blocked the street, according to police reports. Two of the occupants got out of the vehicle and began discharging shots into the vehicle hitting Prudent, who lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a wall on Willow Tree Avenue, initial reports stated.
The case is not expected to attract the death penalty at this time as McKinney was charged with murder under section 291 (1)(b) of the Penal Code, Chapter 84.
McKinney, who was not required to enter a plea to the charge due to the nature of the offence, was told that he would reappear in Magistrates Court No 9 on September 23.
He will receive a date for his case to be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court for trial through service of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment.
Two men were also arraigned yesterday in connection with a separate murder, this time before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.
Garvin Pratt, 19, of Palm Tree Avenue and Edvardo Carey, 35, of Windsor Road stood accused of murdering Delano Brice, who was shot multiple times during a drive-by shooting on August 23. He died in hospital four days later.
The two are scheduled to appear in Magistrate’s Court No 9 on September 22.
Before they were remanded to prison without bail, Pratt’s lawyer, Romona Farquharson-Seymour claimed that her client was denied access to counsel while in custody at the Central Detective Unit.
She claimed that he was suffocated repeatedly when officers are alleged to have put a plastic bag over his head and also poured water over his head to create the effect of drowning.
Roberto Reckley, lawyer for Carey, requested the police to turn over witness statements so that the defence could prepare its case as soon as possible.
The magistrate noted the alleged brutality complaints, and told Reckley that he should seek the statements from the Attorney General’s Office which has control of the case.
This case is not expected to attract the death penalty.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.