Riley annoyed with the adjournment of his case

The length to which Jeremy Riley pushed his lips when he heard that his matter would be adjourned once more, Chief Magistrate Sonya Young was lucky they did not knock her off her chair where she sat about 10 feet from him.{{more}}

Facing six criminal charges, including possession of a firearm, Riley’s matter was put off to February 7, after Police Prosecutor Station Sergeant Nigel Butcher asked for the adjournment.

Riley was charged with the November 21, 2007, daylight shootings in the Rose Place area, during which he was shot in the hand.

When the 23-year-old Edinboro resident appeared at the Serious Offences Court for the first time, he pleaded not guilty to having one 9mm firearm pistol, possession of one round of ammunition, attempting to discharge a firearm at Ewert “Ells” King of Pembroke on November 21, preventing unlawful apprehension of himself under the Firearms Act and for damaging two vehicles.

Station Sergeant Butcher supported his application for the denial of bail and for the adjournment of the matter by saying that investigations were still ongoing into the matter and about 80% of the matter is completed. “There are too many firearms out there. We know the state of firearms in this country and we believe if Mr Riley gets bail he would abscond,” Butcher stated.

Riley’s defence lawyer, Bertram Stapleton, made a fresh bail application for his client. Stapleton said that not only was the shooting alleged, but his client was a victim in the incident since he was shot. He said, according to his instructions, his client gave a reasonable explanation as to why he had the gun. “This is not a situation where you have to include forensics. It’s a straightforward matter,” said Stapleton.

Stapleton said time and time again, the police come up with excuses for adjourning matters. The lawyer said it is not fair to him that he comes prepared for a trial and the prosecution know that they are not ready and do not even inform him beforehand.

“To be fair to the young man, I ask you to grant him bail or go on with the trial now. Having him on remand is a way of letting him serve a prison sentence,” Stapleton added.(KW)