7 News Belize

Judge Says Shane Didn’t Kill Sammy, George Price’s Brother
posted (June 15, 2016)

Today in the Supreme Court, 34 year old Shane Gillett was acquitted of the murder of for 84 year-old Samuel Price, younger brother of National Hero George Price. Gillett, who had been on remand at the Belize Central Prison for five years, was finally able to go home.

Price was found dead inside his home at Mile 5 and a half on the Philip Goldson Highway in April of 2011. He was partially submerged in a tub of water with blunt force injuries to the head.

During Gillett's trial, the prosecution called 10 witnesses, and submitted a written confession statement in which Gillett admitted that he committed the crime. The main prosecution witness was one of Gillett's Burrell Boom neighbours who told the court that he told her he killed Price.

But, when he got his opportunity to defend himself, Gillett told the court that the police tortured him into confessing. Additionally, Justice Adolph Lucas who presided over the trial without jury found that the main witness was not reliable, and had added details to the statement she gave police.

The judge also did not fully accept the testimony of the officer who recorded Gillett's statement because he was unable to give a proper answer to some of pointed questions asked by Gillett's defence attorney, Leeroy Banner. The Judge had major doubts because none of the 3 officers who testified for the prosecution were able to answer convincingly whether Gillett was fed or given anything to drink during the 36 hours that he was in police custody. He therefore ruled that the statement was improperly obtained.

The prosecution also submitted fingerprint evidence which they tried to use to help in convincing the judge of Gillett's guilt. Those fingerprints lifted from the scene of the crime did not match Gillett's fingerprints, and with all those significant doubts, the judge was not convinced that he was guilty.

And so he ruled today that Gillett is acquitted, and he was able to go home a free man after half a decade on remand.

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