By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A 26-year-old man was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a manslaughter by negligence charge when his four-year-old son died after being shot at his home on Saturday.
Justice Andrew Forbes told the accused Wenzel Demeritte that he was not required to enter a plea to the manslaughter charge, as he will have his matter referred to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).
Demeritte also faced two other charges: one count of possession of an unlicensed firearm and one count of illegal possession of ammunition.
He pleaded not guilty to those charges, but was still denied bail.
His case was adjourned to August 10 when the chief magistrate will be expected to serve him with a VBI in the case. He has been remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
According to police, the boy, Denzil Joshua “Joshy” Demeritte, and another young boy were playing with a handgun at his home on Balls Alley when the gun went off and Denzil accidently shot himself. The incident happened shortly after 3pm on August 1.
The young boy was taken to hospital, but died a short time later.
In an exclusive interview with The Tribune earlier this week, the deceased boy’s mother, Sharan Defrand, said she was devastated by the loss of her son.
She told this newspaper that the young boy was going to celebrate his birthday on Monday, two days after he was shot.
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