Dates were fixed for two murder trials during a Supreme Court arraignments session that also featured cases of alleged death-by-driving and gun importation.

Chief Justice Richard Ground set May 26 as the trial date for five teenagers accused of murdering 18-year-old Kellon Hill on August 9 last year.

The youths Kellan Jeaurreau Lewis, 17, Kevin Andre Warner, 19, Gary Rupert Hollis, 16, Devon Vonzell Hairston, 17, and Zharrin Frankie Simmons, 17 made just a brief appearance before the court for the arraignments to be made.

Mr. Hill was allegedly stabbed to death as he left a late-night party at Elbow Beach, Paget. Lewis alone is accused of unlawfully possessing a bladed article in a public place, with the others facing individual charges of possessing offensive weapons.

Warner is said to have had a wooden cane, Hollis and Hairston allegedly had crash helmets, and Simmons a screwdriver.

All five pleaded not guilty to the charges during a previous court appearance, and were remanded back into custody after yesterday's hearing.

The second trial set was that of Ze Menefeskiduse Selassie, who has previously pleaded not guilty to the premeditated murder of 14-year-old Rhiana Moore on or about May 30, 2008.

The schoolgirl's body was found in the mangroves at Blue Hole Park nature reserve on May 31.

Selassie, 33, of St. David's, will stand trial on August 4 this year. He was remanded into custody until then by the Chief Justice.

In addition to the murder cases, pleas were taken yesterday from two men charged in separate alleged death-by-driving cases.

Roger Bowen, 25, of Cambridge Road, Sandys, pleaded not guilty to causing the death of bartender Larry Thomas by driving with excess alcohol.

Bowen denied a further charge of driving with more than the legal limit of 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood in relation to the same incident.

Mr. Thomas, 34, who worked at Salt Rock Grill in Somerset, died last April after his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a van on Somerset Road in the early hours of the morning.

Bowen was bailed, and must come back to court tomorrow when a date for his trial will be fixed.

Also before the court was Donald Blake, 48, who is accused of causing the death of Travis Smith through reckless or dangerous driving on July 6 2006. Mr. Smith, 26, died after his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a car at the entrance of Terceira's gas station on North Shore Road, Devonshire.

Blake, of Angle Street, Pembroke, pleaded not guilty and will stand trial on March 16. He was bailed until that date.

Two men jointly accused of firearms charges also appeared before the Chief Justice to enter not guilty pleas.

Justin Calderon, 26, of Mission Lane, Pembroke, and Arthur Dill, of Orchard Grove, Pembroke, are alleged to have conspired to import / possess a semi-automatic firearm between a date unknown and May 8 last year.

They are further accused of conspiring to possess four revolvers and 170 rounds of ammunition between the same dates, and conspiring to import cannabis.

All the charges are said to relate to activity in Bermuda and elsewhere, conducted together with others not before the court.

The men pleaded not guilty to all the alleged offences and were offered bail until they come back to court for a trial date to be discussed on April 1.

Dill's lawyer Llewellyn Peniston indicated that since his client was unable to meet his $15,000 surety at this time, he would have to remain in custody.

Charged separately, Kershun Dublin stands accused of conspiring to import four firearms and 170 rounds of ammunition between a date unknown and April 28 2008.

He is further accused of conspiring to import cannabis. Dublin, who entered not guilty pleas on a previous occasion, will go on trial on July 20.