Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Reporter

#TurksandCaicosIslands, October 4, 2023 –

Supreme Court in Turks and Caicos is active now, following an eight week hiatus.  It is now become a regular pause in proceedings under the judicial leadership of Hon Ladyship, Mabel Agyemang, Turks and Caicos Chief Justice.

In the new session, there are a number of criminal matters will be called before His Lordship The Honourable MrDavidson Kervin Baptiste in the Grand Turk Supreme court, including

CASE #1: The firearm case against LAVARDO CAMPBELL and JEAN MAX GERMAIN. This matter waslisted for mention last week, Monday 25th September, 2023. The accused men are represented by attorneys Ashwood Forbes and Finbar Grant.

Police reported that they arrested the duo both from Kew Town after an alleged shooting incident on Leeward Highway that resulted in a high speed chase take down by law enforcement officers on Tuesday May, 17th, 2022.

Police also told us that, on Friday 3rd June 2022, Detectives of the RTCIPF Criminal Investigations Department formally charged and cautioned now 25-year-old JEAN MAX GERMAIN of Kew Town and now 22-year-old LAVARDO CAMPBELL, also of Kew Town with five (5) charges each for the following firearm offences; – Carrying Firearm, – Carrying Ammunition, Wounding, Discharging Firearm and Discharging Ammunition.

The men were charged following the investigation of a discharging firearm report made to the Police Control Room on Tuesday 17th May 2022, where shots were discharged from a red vehicle on the Leeward Highway.

Responding Police Units subsequently stopped a Red Suzuki Swift, a short while later and its two male occupants were detained in connection to that report of a firearm discharge.

Investigations later revealed that a male sustained an injury and a firearm was also recovered.

CASE #2: A murder trial is listed to commence on Monday 25th September, 2023 in the Grand Turk Supreme Court before Justice Baptiste and a 12 member jury.

The accused is now 26 years old KENDALL DEAN who was put away on remand for the shooting death of the late 24 year old Joshua Swann of South Dock Road, Providenciales.

The alleged killing was on Sunday 8th August, 2021 in the vicinity of North West Point, Blue Hills, Providenciales, according to police at the time.

Since being on remand at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for just over two years, Dean sought a lawyer in the person of Oliver Smith, KC.