Duo freed after court withdraws attempted murder charges

Two men walked out of court yesterday, for the first time in seven months not handcuffed to each other, after 10 charges of attempted murder and a murder charge were withdrawn from them.

Alaskie ‘Beaver’ Samuel and Obandelle ‘Bandelle’ Neverson had been charged on October 23 last year, with the murder of Gregory ‘Woody’ Abraham and attempted murder of 10 others, and have been remanded since.

These charges had stemmed from an incident at Diamond on October 14, wherein men in ‘Vendetta’ masks descended on unsuspecting persons at the ‘Roadside Bar’ with guns. Eight received gunshot wounds that night and Abraham, 33 years, succumbed to gunshot wounds.

When the men appeared at the Serious Offences Court on May 18, all ears were on key witness, Recardo ‘Shrek’ McFee, whose evidence was set to make or break the case.

McFee didn’t end up giving evidence, after admitting that he had given two contradictory statements. He acknowledged that he gave one statement to the police identifying the two accused as the attackers, and one to defence attorneys saying that the statement he gave the police was false.

Changing tune once more under oath, he stated that the statement given to the police was true, but that he wished not to continue because he feared for his family’s safety.

Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpesche had asked for some time to consult with the acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on the actions to be taken with regard to the case.

Yesterday, after a ten-day adjournment, the prosecution indicated that all charges against Samuel and Neverson were to be withdrawn.

The prosecutor indicated afterwards that the DPP’s office felt it the safest course of action to withdraw the matter, on issue of credibility and due to the contradictions being presented.

All the matters were withdrawn, not only the attempted murder charge against McFee, because all matters hinged on the evidence that McFee was to give in court.