DPP re-opens Orange Walk shooting case

Dec 19, 2013 News

Club cricketer Carlyle Barton who many believed had ‘walked free’ of the murder charge will once again sit in the “hot seat” as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Hack yesterday announced that she has ordered the Preliminary lnquiry in the matter be re-opened.

Carlyle Barton

Exactly one month ago at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Fabayo Azore discharged the case at the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) stage, because of a failure of the various witnesses and that a prima facie case was not established against the cricketer.
The Magistrate had said that the Prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claim that on May 27, last, Barton murdered his friend Shawn Nelson, at Orange Walk, Bourda.
According to reports, a Close Circuit Television (CCTV) system video showed Barton whipping out a handgun, aiming and firing at Nelson who was seen falling after he received the shot to his head. It also revealed the man entering his car and driving away.
The DPP Chambers in a press release conveyed that “In a letter dated the l6th December, 2013 addressed to Her worship Magistrate Fabayo Azore, the DPP has directed that the Pl be reopened for some witnesses to complete their testimony and to allow for other witnesses who had not testified during the first Pl, to do so.”
Hack said that subsequent to the November 19 discharge of Carlyle Barton for the offence of murder a perusal of the police file revealed that there was a need for certain investigations to be conducted.
On the DPP’s advice, the file was subsequently sent to the police on December 6, 2013 for these investigations to be carried out.
The press release also detailed that on December 11, 2013 the police file was returned to the DPP Chambers