Appeal Court quashes decision to free accused in schoolboy’s murder

Jul 27, 2018 News

Samuel Cornelius

The State has successfully challenged the High Court decision to free Samuel Cornelius, the accused in the February 2012 murder of schoolboy, Anfernee Bowman.

The matter was heard at the Court of Appeal by Justice Yonette Cummings–Edwards, Chancellor of the Judiciary, and Justices Rishi Persaud and Rafiq Khan.

In a brief hearing yesterday, the Court of Appeal announced that the High Court decision to free the accused Samuel Cornelius has been reversed.

As a result, Cornelius, who was on bail since July 2014, pending the outcome of the State’s appeal, will likely face a new trial in the High Court.

The court had heard that Bowman was fatally stabbed during a brawl, allegedly with Cornelius, in the vicinity of Aubrey Barker Road on Monday, February 27, 2012.

Cornelius, who was 17 years old, at the time was later charged for the murder of Bowman. However on July 22, 2014, following a High Court trial before Justice Diana Insanally, he was freed on a no-case submission presented by defence lawyer, Mark Waldron.

But the State, through Attorney Natasha Backer, appealed the Court’s decision to free Cornelius.

During his trial in the High Court, police investigators had testified that an ice pick was recovered a short distance away from the crime scene where Cornelius and his classmate (Bowman) had engaged in a vicious fight following lessons at a nearby location.

Eyewitnesses detailed the fight between the two boys reportedly ended with Bowman lying in the sand, his school shirt soaked in blood, and Cornelius fleeing the scene.

Bowman was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Detective Lillian Scotland had testified that Cornelius was arrested after he came to the station in the company of his lawyer, “because I went to the home of the accused that I see sitting in the docks today, but he was not there,” she explained.

She detailed to the court that Cornelius had left the city for Linden after learning of his colleague’s demise. The officer read aloud a caution statement, which she procured from the accused.

“Anfernee and I were in a confrontation over a female. Anfernee pushed me and I resisted, but he pulled out an ice pick. I was frustrated and in shock. I went to my brother in Linden. I did not tell him what happened. I tried my best to sleep that night.

The next day after seeing the newspapers, my brother called me and inquired about the incident. I told him. He said that I needed to turn myself in,” Scotland read to the court.

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