Jury selected as attempted murder trial gets underway

The trial of a 21-year-old charged with the attempted murder of Somerset Eagles footballer Jelani (Roots) Butterfield in Dockyard more than two years ago began yesterday.

Brandon Barnes Brockett, of Farm Lane, Warwick, was charged in Supreme Court with attempting to unlawfully cause the death of Mr. Butterfield on December 23, 2002.

Brockett pleaded not guilty to both that charge and an alternative charge of unlawfully wounding Mr. Butterfield with intent to do grievous bodily harm on the same date.

An 11 woman, one man jury was selected during yesterday's proceedings before the session was adjourned for the day. Justice Carlisle Greaves said the trial was expected to last one to two weeks.

The lawyers for the Crown were Wayne Caines and Kulandra Ratneser and Brockett was represented by Victoria Pearman.

Mr. Justice Greaves extended Brockett's bail and ordered him to reappear in court for the trial's resumption this morning.

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