By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
A PINEWOOD Gardens resident was remanded to prison yesterday after being arraigned on a murder charge in a fatal shooting outside a nightclub on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway last weekend.
Kensworth Francis, 21, of Pigeon Plum Street, appeared before Magistrate Andrew Forbes accused of intentionally causing the death of Ashton Demeritte on December 13.
Shortly after 1.30am on the day in question, Demeritte was reportedly sitting in a vehicle outside the nightclub when a man armed with a handgun approached and shot him before fleeing in a white vehicle.
The victim was rushed to hospital where he later died.
Francis has been charged with murder under Section 291 (1)(B) of the Penal Code.
A charge under this section does not attract the discretionary death penalty if a conviction is reached at the end of trial.
He was not allowed to enter a plea to the charge due to the nature of the offence.
The case is to be forwarded to the Supreme Court through the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment on January 28, 2016.
Francis was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services, but he has the right to apply for bail at the Supreme Court.
Though no attorney was present for his arraignment, the accused informed the judge that he had retained the firm of Munroe and Associates to defend him.
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