0

Pair in court over murder charge

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were charged in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with the country’s second murder of the year.

James Arthur Thompson, 30, and 23-year-old Robert Arthur were charged before Magistrate Samuel McKinney in connection with Joel Russell’s murder on January 10.

Thompson is accused of murdering Russell, who was also known as Joseph Russell, while Arthur is charged with being an accessory after the fact.

According to reports, shortly after 11pm on Majority Rule Day, police responded to Willow Tree Avenue, Pinewood Gardens after receiving reports that a man had been shot. Upon their arrival, officers discovered a man with injuries to his body.

Paramedics were unable to revive the man and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Shortly afterwards police said they took a 29-year-old man of Kennedy Subdivision into custody in connection with the incident.

Neither man was required to enter a plea to their respective charge and the matter was adjourned to April 15 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Bail was denied and they were remanded into custody in the interim. They have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

Commenting has been disabled for this item.