A bail application is to be heard on June 1 for a man, who is charged for killing his brother.
The man’s attorney told the judge on Thursday, May 4 that his client has spent almost two years in custody and that was the basis on which the application was being made.
Charged for the offence of murder is Fritz Dennis, a farmer of Lucky Hill in St. Mary.
He was charged on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 by the St. Mary police for the murder of his brother, Miguel Roberts, alias ‘Joe’, a UTECH student of Lucky Hill, St. Mary. Roberts’ partially burned body was found in bushes on a farm in Bamboo Walk, Retreat in St. Mary. It is alleged that both brothers had a dispute over a family farm, located in Retreat.
When the matter came before the St Mary Parish Court last Thursday, the prosecutor indicated that the case was for mention for “certification to be completed.”
She explained that “one of the statements had been certified today (last Thursday)” and additional time was being asked for the certification process in accordance with the Committal Proceedings Act (CPA).
The time was granted by senior parish judge Yvette Wentworth-Miller, but before a return date was set in the matter, the accused man’s attorney asked whether a bail application could be heard for his client.
The attorney told the judge that July would see his client being in custody for almost two years and he had at one point been without legal representation.
When the judge enquired of the crown prosecutor if a bail application could be heard, she (the prosecutor) indicated that the crown was not ready for the application to be heard.
The bail application was later set for next month.
Dennis was remanded into custody until that time.
The North Coast Times reported that the last time the deceased, Miguel Roberts, was seen was on Thursday, June 30, 2015 at around 2 p.m. when he got off a taxi and went up to the farm that was alleged to be at the centre of the dispute between both brothers.
The partially burnt body of Roberts was found Friday morning, July 3, 2015 by the accused man and a friend. On the scene where the body was found, it was reported that Roberts was clad in his underpants. Half of it was burnt and areas on his skin also seemed burnt
Residents from the area had alleged that the motive for the killing of Roberts was a family dispute about the running of the farm and the elder brother, Fritz Dennis, had been told to stay away from the property.
