Man denies Christmas Day murder
A St George’s man yesterday pleaded not guilty to the premeditated murder of Malcolm Augustus on Christmas Day last year.Wolda Gardner, 33, of Secretary Lane, was also charged with using a firearm to commit the indictable offence when he appeared at the arraignments session in Supreme Court. He pleaded not guilty to that charge as well.Mr Augustus, 20, was fatally shot just after midnight on December 25 on the border of St George’s Golf Course. He was the Island’s fifth and final murder victim of 2012.Mr Gardner, who was represented by lawyer Charles Richardson, was remanded into custody until the next arraignments session on June 3.A second man wanted for questioning in connection with the killing is currently in custody in the UK facing extradition proceedings. Patrick Stamp, 28, is currently on remand in London and authorities in Bermuda are now attempting to bring him back to the Island to face charges.Two other men facing murder charges also appeared at the arraignments session.Darrion Simons and Jahkeo LeShore are charged with the premeditated murder of David Clarke on April 17, 2011.The 26-year-old victim was shot dead at the junction of Bandroom Lane and North Shore Road, Devonshire. Mr Clarke was shot dead while riding his motorcycle after leaving an event at the Mid Atlantic Boat Club, according to police.Both Mr Simons and Mr LeShore entered not guilty pleas to the charges of premeditated murder and using a firearm to commit the offence.Their case was rolled over to next month’s arraignments session and both men were remanded into custody.Also in court yesterday, Alan Robinson denied charges that he attempted to murder Vernica Tucker last December 11 and that he was carrying a bladed article on Rocky Lane in Hamilton Parish on the same day.However he did admit assaulting Kevin Arorash on December 11 in Hamilton Parish.Robinson was remanded into custody until his June 3 trial.Two Warwick men jointly charged with wounding also entered not guilty pleas. Malachi Darrell, 20, of Spring Hill, and Damir Phillips, 24, of Cobbs Hill, were accused of wounding Joshua Crockwell on July 9 last year. Mr Darrell is also charged with wounding Rayki Emery on the same day.Both defendants were bailed and will stand trial on June 4.Teenage killer Rashaun Codrington will have to wait until next month before he is sentenced for the murder of 18-year-old Malcolm Outerbridge. Codrington was 15 years old when he mortally stabbed Mr Outerbridge on the Railway Trail in Warwick on October 28, 2011. He was ordered to undergo psychiatric tests before being sentenced.Prosecutor Carrington Mahoney confirmed that those reports were ready but requested that the matter be rolled over to the next arraignments session so that a sentencing date could be set. Codrington was remanded until June 3.In another case, Hamilton Parish residents faced a string of drug and money laundering charges. Kiare Hollis along with Celia Correia and Shuntai Scraders, 26 will stand trail on June 3.Also appearing were three teenagers and a man accused of robbing a father in front of his children over the Cup Match holiday last year. Kyle Daniels-Smith, Sanchea Douglas and Judah Roberts, along with Sergio Robinson-Woolridge, deny attacking victim Kevin Abrahams on Rambling Lane, Pembroke, on August 4. Their trial date was set for May 21.