‘Jacket’ Heads To High Court On Another Murder Charge

A Rillan Hill resident on his third and fourth murder charges over the past three years, will go straight to trial at the High Court, after applications made by the crown.

Schemel “Jacket” Dunbar of Rillan Hill, was charged last year, alongside Richard “Karib” Francis and Kendine Douglas, that they, with malice aforethought, caused the death of police constable Danroy Cozier, who was 26 at the time, and his 19-year old brother, Nicolas Cozier.

They are further charged with conspiracy to murder the police constable, who had been stationed at the Mesopotamia Police Station at the time of his death.

The three accused were charged with the death of the brothers almost immediately following the May 4, 2017 discovery of the bodies, riddled with bullets, at Sion Hill Bay. The accused have all been incarcerated since.

A preliminary inquiry into the matter was set to start at the Serious Offences Court this Monday, but prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche revealed to Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias, that circumstances had changed.

Delplesche said under Chapter 172, section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code, titled “Bill of Indictment”, an application had been made to send the matter to the High Court, and accepted. Therefore, presenting a copy of the order, he indicated that the matter was now in the jurisdiction of the High Court, and the accused men were so informed of this development.

However, the defence lawyer for Francis, Ronald Marks, rose to note his displeasure. “Why so long?” he asked.

He asked why it took a year for the application to be made if the prosecution knew they wanted to take that route.

Marks then submitted that he understood why that was the path the prosecution took, because, “the case against my client is flimsy at best”.

Lawyer Grant Connell, standing for accused Douglas, supported this submission. The other accused, Dunbar, was unrepresented by counsel.

On the same day, Dunbar’s preliminary inquiry to determine whether there was enough evidence for him to stand trial at the High Court for the March 12 murder of Malcom Pollin was set to commence.

Pollin, 52, succumbed to gunshot wounds at his home in Vermont.

Delplesche announced that a similar application had been made by the crown to have the matter go straight to the High Court for trial, and was granted.

The 2017 murder charges that relate to Dunbar, rest back-to-back with murder charges in the years 2015 and 2016.

Dunbar was previously charged for the May 2015 murder of Aljay “Chris Browne” Douglas, who was shot three times just outside the Campden Park playing field, while acting as a doorman for an event. A hooded male assailant was said to have relieved Douglas of the purse containing money for the event.

In September of that year, Dunbar was freed of the charge.

However, he was once again shackled a mere 10 months later, after he was charged with the June 2016 murder of one James “Sheppy” Shappeard.

Shappeard had met his death via a bullet to the head and his body was found lying near a vehicle, which had crashed into a wall.

This case was discontinued in January 2017 and Dunbar was once again freed for a few months, before being charged again for murder.