Constable: I did not see officer shoot Brenton Smith
Police Constable 1470 Darrington Sands told the Coroner's Court Friday that he did not see his partner shoot 18-year-old Brenton Smith.
Smith was shot on the evening of July 9 while walking with a friend through a track road at the rear of the City Market Food Store on Village Road.
The shooting took place shortly after the store was robbed by two men, one of whom was armed with a gun, according to evidence presented to the court.
Smith died on the scene.
Police Corporal 1476 Kelsie Munroe fired the fatal bullet that led to Smith's death.
During his testimony Friday Constable Sands said he did not see Corporal Munroe fire his weapon.
"I just heard the shot," he told the court.
Members of Brenton Smith's family cried as he gave his evidence. Sands was being questioned by the Crown's attorney Stephanie Pintard when he made the disclosure.
Click the link for more from Friday's proceedings.
2,000 women sought for cancer study
Researchers involved in a years' long study on breast cancer in Bahamian women are preparing to launch what they say will be a crucial phase of their work.
"We're busy trying to shut off bad genes before they do bad things," said oncologist Dr. John Lunn, who along with other local and foreign cancer experts has been involved in the research for years.
The results are expected to lead to earlier detection, changes in screening guidelines and a dramatic reduction in breast cancer deaths.
So far researchers have tested 231 Bahamian women with breast cancer, from 206 families. Twenty-five percent of the women have tested positive for a breast cancer gene mutation, according to the researchers, who say this is the highest rate of inherited breast cancer recorded in the world.
"That has huge implications for how we detect and how we manage these patients," Lunn said.
Click to find out why the breast cancer in The Bahamas may be connected to West Africa.
Parent, son attacked by group of students
A parent in the Oakes Field area Friday barely avoided injury when a group of about two dozen male students from a secondary school in the area threw large stones at his vehicle where he and his son were.
The boys had been trying to attack the man's son before they started throwing rocks.
The incident occurred around 3:20 p.m. on Farrington Road, just around the corner from C.C. Sweeting High School and T.A. Thompson Junior School.
The unidentified man was apparently trying to protect his son from the boys.
As the stones flew, the man stayed inside the truck, but shortly thereafter he hopped out and grabbed a metal pipe out of the truck's bed and ran around the corner after the boys.
He retreated when he realized there were about two dozen boys waiting around the corner with rocks.
Police report rise in fraud cases
Police say they have noticed a growing trend over the past four months involving fraud matters in which unsuspecting victims fall prey to schemes centered on car and real estate sales.
During a news conference at police headquarters Friday, senior fraud investigators also revealed that an estimated one million dollars was defrauded through various schemes from victims throughout The Bahamas in 2008.
According to recent cases being brought to the attention of investigators within the Commercial Crimes Division, fraudulent crimes appear to be on the rise in recent months. Of particular concern they added are those crimes that involve the apparent sale of cars and real estate.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Michael Moxey said detectives in his unit are working hard to crack several cases.
"We have seen several trends with respect to fraud and fraud-related scams that have started to emerge as early as December of last year, which have impacted a number of persons," said Moxey. "It is our intent to sensitize members of the public with respect to some of the things that have been happening and what they can do to prevent themselves from being a part of scams."
Religious group opposes sexual preference category in URCA document
A group of religious leaders have opposed any special protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual preference in their response to a consultation document on proposed content regulations by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA).
"Under the point 'discrimination and denigration', we have grave concerns about 'sexual preference' being one of the categories for which content will be regulated," said the Bahamas Coalition of Evangelical Pastors (BCEP) in its response to URCA's public consultation document.
The group added, "Why is a cosmetic category like 'sexual preference' thrown in with legitimate categories of persons who are already protected under the Constitution of The Bahamas?"
URCA called for submissions on its document addressing the creation of codes of practice for new content rules from February 3 until March 15. The regulator has – as is its custom – posted responses on its website.
Members of the BCEP include pastors Lyall Bethel, Allan Lee, Cedric Moss and Alfred Stewart.
Wisdom accuses Maynard of dereliction of duty
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Charles Maynard has been accused of dereliction of duty by former minister of that portfolio Neville Wisdom.
Wisdom, the opposition spokesman on Youth, Sports, and Culture, in a press release questioned the state of youth in the country and the number of programs available for them.
"Given the large number of at-risk youths in our country and the impact this condition has on the social health of our society, Mr. Maynard has failed to demonstrate the requisite quality of leadership necessary to proactively provide viable alternatives to this vulnerable demographic through enhanced, progressive and sustained youth development programs," he said. "There is a demonstrated lack of concern and commitment in this critical area of national development and this is a serious indictment on the (Free National Movement) FNM government."
Bail blocked for teacher accused of indecent assault
Prosecutors have blocked the release of a teacher accused of indecently assaulting three students at the Central Eleuthera High School.
Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez Friday set bail at $15,000 for Orville Clarke, the Jamaican electronics teacher, when he appeared before him.
Clarke, 37, first appeared before assistant administrator Mary Symonette on February 13, 2010 who remanded him to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre. The doctor who conducted the evaluation said that Clarke suffered from a brief psychotic disorder and had the mental capacity to enter a plea.
Clarke pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared before Magistrate Gomez.
His lawyer Murrio Ducille asked the court to grant Clarke bail pending trial. Magistrate Gomez set bail at $15,000 with two sureties and ordered him to surrender his passport to the court.
However, Inspector David Lockhart told the court he planned to ask the Supreme Court to review the magistrate's decision. Clarke has been remanded to Her Majesty's Prison until the matter is heard.
Bail denied for robbery accused
A judge Friday refused bail for one of the suspects in a home invasion in Coral Harbour.
Jermaine Stuart, 36, of St. Alban's Drive, is charged with the burglary of Georgette and Jerry Butler's home on February 18.
He is accused of robbing the couple of jewelry with a combined value of $30,000, a Dell laptop worth $1,900 and $1,650 in cash.
Stuart is also charged with possession of a firearm to endanger the lives of Corporal 340 Fox and Constable 2889 Barr. Friday his lawyer Murrio Ducille alleged that the prosecution's case was weak and asked the court to grant bail pending trial.
Click here to read what Stuart's brother has been charged with.
Wanted suspect captured at LPIA
A 31-year-old man who was being sought by police for questioning in connection with a number of fraud matters was arrested at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) Friday.
Police press liaison officer Sergeant Chrislyn Skippings disclosed that Kenyon Williams, a resident of Farmer's Hill, Exuma was captured sometime around 8 a.m.
She reported that he was trying to board a flight to Exuma.
Inspector Marcus Edgecombe of the Commercial Crimes Division thanked members of the public for their assistance in the matter.
"We are looking at a number of matters with him with respect to cheque fraud," Edgecombe said.
