Moses Morris outside of court.
By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A MAN made his initial court appearance yesterday in connection with the fatal stabbing of a retired 88-year-old Canadian physician on a Family Island.
Moses Morris, 43, of Simms, Long Island, appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes on a charge of murdering Dr Harry Geoffrey Harding.
The charge of murder comes under Section 291 (1b) of the Penal Code, Chapter 84, which does not attract the discretionary death penalty if a Supreme Court jury finds him guilty at trial.
Shortly before noon on April 2, police in Long Island received a report that a man had been found dead at his home in Clarence Town. When they arrived, they found the lifeless body of Dr Harding with multiple stab wounds in his body.
Dr Harding, who owned a vacation home in Long Island and regularly visited the island after purchasing the property in the 1960s, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accused was informed that the case would be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court through presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment after the matter is reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office.
The presentation of the Crown’s case against him will take place on June 19.
Before remanding Morris to the Department of Correctional Services, the magistrate informed him that he was also charged with fraud and causing damage.
It is claimed that he, between March 25 and 28, obtained $225 worth of credit from a rental car company on Long Island and caused $2,000 in damage to a 2002 Honda Fit belonging to the rental company.
He was not required to enter a plea to these charges because he elected for the matter to be heard in the Supreme Court.
Morris was denied bail, but has the right to apply for a bond in the Supreme Court.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.