7 News Belize

Does GSU Want Darrell Henry In Jail For Xmas?
posted (December 24, 2013)
Darrell Henry's family had hoped he would be out of jail in time for Christmas after he was brought up on what they believed are bogus charges. But, the police have been pressing hard to keep him locked up, and now, the 33 year old Belize City resident will spend Christmas and New Years behind bars.

Last Friday Magistrate Dale Cayetano dismissed charges of possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol and failure to provide specimen. That's after he upheld a submission by Henry's attorney Dickie Bradley that there was no case to answer.

Cayetano found that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case for the charge of failure to provide specimen because the doctor did not appear in court to testify. Because of that, the charge of possession of a firearm while under the influence could not be proven so it was also dismissed. Only the minor charge of public drinking remained and for that Henry was offered and met bail of $500. But as he stepped of the courtroom last Friday police told him that there were other charges for him. So he was taken back in custody and yesterday he was charged with keeping unlicensed firearm, keeping unlicensed ammunition, handling stolen goods and possession of a false document.

His attorney Dickie Bradley said it was an abuse of process since he was being charged again for another version of the original charges which had already been dismissed.

Today the police told the court that the new charges stem from a different set of facts relating to the report of a burglary at Atlantic Bank, at the corner of Cemetery Road and Magazine Road when a gun was stolen. Police say that's the same Smith and Wesson pistol he was originally arrested for, but they didn't know that it had been stolen. The police also alleged that the gun license that Henry had was false.

Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser has reserved her decision to a submission of abuse of court process for January 3, 2014. Henry;s family says that all the turnaround is due to a personal vendetta which a senior officer has against him.

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