The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE men to be tried in connection with the fatal shooting of Latore Mackey have denied being at the scene of crime.

Kelvin Deveaux and Dereck Neily, the men accused of the murder of the prime minister’s press secretary, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt yesterday for a presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment that would fast-track the matter to Supreme Court for trial.

It was in yesterday’s proceedings that the men, who are 18 and 22, were presented with documents and evidence of the Crown’s case against them.

They were also informed by the chief magistrate of their right to give an alibi immediately to the court or to the Attorney General’s Office within 21 days as they would not be allowed to do so during the trial.

When called on, Neily said: “I was not in the car.”

He added: “I wasn’t there when the man got shot.”

Deveaux also echoed the same statement.

The claims were recorded and the accused signed papers confirming their receipt of the bundle of evidence.

Police prosecutor ASP Clifford Daxon informed the magistrate that the Crown wished to withdraw the charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and attempted armed robbery with which they were initially charged in September.

They were remanded to prison until their next court appearance on December 5 before Justice Bernard Turner in the Supreme Court.

Deveaux, of Market Street, and Neily, of Young Close, now face only a charge of murder.

On the morning in question, officers responded to reports of gunshots being heard in the White Road area. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Mackey slumped over the wheel of his government-issued vehicle with a gunshot wound in his neck.

He had crashed into a utility pole after being shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. A significant amount of money was also in the vehicle.

Deveaux and Neily were charged with murder under Section 291 (1B) of the Penal Code, Chapter 84. A charge under this section does not attract the death penalty.