Byrea residents in state of shock

A man who had been accused of brutally murdering a Byera resident by inflicting chop wounds was discharged by the court on Tuesday, May 5, causing a shock within his village.

Fifty-nine-year-old Byera resident Wayne Fitzgerald Gregory Morris died in an incident on the morning of October 26, 2018, which left him with chop wounds about the body, and a visible one to his abdomen, which exposed his intestines.

Wayne Fitzgerald Gregory Morris was fatally chopped about his body in an incident on the morning of October 26, 2018, which left him with his intestines esposed.

Roneaf Burke/Caine, of Manning Village, Byera, 26 years old at the time he was charged, was housed in prison since October 2018, after being picked up by police and charged with causing Morris’ death by inflicting chop wounds about the body with an unknown object.

He was not required to enter a plea as to whether he was guilty or not when he came before the Serious Offences Court (SOC) on October 31, 2018. Instead, Burke was first required to go through a preliminary inquiry at the SOC to determine whether there was enough evidence for him to stand trial at the High Court.

When the inquiry came to an end this week, lawyer Grant Connell, who represented the accused at the preliminary inquiry, said that the prosecution had not made out a prima facie case against his client.

He noted that evidence presented was tenuous, and therefore Burke should be discharged. Connell also commented that it was “very unfortunate” that his client had to be in jail for a year and a half.

Subsequently, Burke was discharged, and has been freed from prison.

He may still be rearrested, and the matter may still return to the court in the future if new evidence arises.

However, Burke’s sudden release back into society has caused a shock, someone close to the matter, told SEARCHLIGHT.

“I’m telling you right now people in the village are very scared because they said he is out again,” the individual noted.

According to the individual, Morris had been ambushed, and chopped in the back of the head.

The person questioned why wasn’t there enough evidence in the case, mentioning a recording, said to be made after the incident, in which Morris said certain things.

“He wasn’t dead off at the same time so he was still alive, and he was there a while before he died so it’s not like he was delusional or something like that, he know, he was in his good sense,” they commented.

“…If I wasn’t a God fearing person things woulda been different, that’s all I could say,” the individual stated.
“People saying they not going back to Manning,” the individual revealed.

They expressed their dissatisfaction with the justice system, saying that it was “messed up.”;