By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of a near-fatal drive-by shooting of a woman in Eleuthera last November was denied bail last week after a judge found he had seven prior drug infractions.
Justice Neil Brathwaite denied 29-year-old Rashad Albury bail for his pending charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Prosecutors allege that while driving a silver vehicle, Albury attempted to shoot and kill Dawson Alcira with a handgun in North Eleuthera on November 16, 2024.
Ms Alcira suffered gunshot injuries, and multiple shots were reportedly heard before the suspect’s vehicle fled the scene.
In his initial bail application, Albury claimed that while he had pending matters, he had no prior convictions. He also said he was self-employed before his incarceration and was the father of two children. He argued that being denied bail would hinder his ability to prepare his defence and support his family.
Ashton Williams, representing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposed Albury’s bail, saying he had received multiple conditional discharges for drug offences between 2019 and 2022.
Cassie Bethel, Albury’s attorney, argued that her client had strong community ties and was not a flight risk. While acknowledging that he had a pending firearm trial, she maintained that he was a suitable candidate for bail and noted that he had no prior convictions of a similar nature.
In his ruling, Justice Brathwaite said Albury had failed to disclose and had lied about his seven prior drug convictions in his initial affidavit. Given his criminal history, the judge determined that Albury would likely re-offend if granted bail.
Justice Brathwaite also noted that because the offence took place on a close-knit family island, no bail conditions could effectively prevent the defendant from interfering with witnesses. Out of concern for the safety of the witnesses and complainant, he denied Albury’s bail.
Albury will remain on remand at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
His voluntary bill of indictment (VBI) for attempted murder, transferring the case to the Supreme Court for trial, is set for service on March 25.
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