Wilfred Elrington

Wilfred Elrington SC, Attorney for the Defense

“Just another adjournment, nothing new.”

Shane Williams

“was the crown not able to present its…”

Wilfred Elrington

“Yeah, the crown had difficulty getting its submission in so this matter adjourned until the third. So nothing big, just procedural.”

                           Alifa Elrington

Alifa Elrington, Attorney for the Defense

“I believe that there is always a disappointment when you cannot proceed with a trial, either which side. You came prepared to proceed with a trial and we cannot proceed with a trial. However, the decision has been made and we have to go by virtue of what the judge said so we wait and see what happens on Tuesday.”

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The post DPP Misses Deadline, Elrington’s Rape Case Delayed first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A constitutional clash over open justice unfolded in the High Court of Belize today, as the prosecutor and a defense attorney advanced sharply different arguments on whether the sexual assault trial of attorney and public figure Orson ‘OJ’ Elrington should be held behind closed doors. Before the trial could begin, Justice Nigel Pilgrim signaled an intention to close the courtroom. The Crown raised no objection. But the defense objected, warning that secrecy would undermine not only Elrington’s right to a fair hearing but also public confidence in the process. The Crown anchored its position in section 6(9)(a) of the Constitution, arguing that publicity would harm the interests of justice because witnesses are expected to recount intimate, traumatic details capable of identifying the complainant.

DPP Cheryl-Lyn Vidal said the defense’s insistence on public scrutiny amounted to conducting “a trial within the courtroom and one by the public” through the media. She maintained that exposing the complainant’s private life would risk re‑traumatization and degrade the quality of her evidence. The court, she argued, has the constitutional discretion, and responsibility, to protect vulnerable witnesses.

The defense countered with equal force. Senior Counsel Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington described open justice as a “strong constitutional presumption” rooted in common-law tradition and affirmed repeatedly by courts across the Commonwealth. He warned that closing the courtroom would create a dangerous imbalance: the allegations have already been publicly aired, damaging the defendant’s reputation, yet the public would be barred from observing the testing of those allegations through cross‑examination. He argued that secrecy would breed suspicion, especially because the accused is a well‑known public figure. If the evidence collapses under scrutiny, he said, the public should be allowed to see that for themselves. Otherwise, even an acquittal could leave a permanent stain. While acknowledging the complainant’s potential discomfort, the defense urged the court to adopt less restrictive alternatives, anonymity orders, screens, or controlled questioning, rather than excluding the public entirely. He emphasized that the constitutional exceptions must be applied narrowly, not treated as a blanket rule for sexual offense cases. Tonight, we are asking: How should the Senior Courts balance the privacy and welfare of complainants with the transparency needed to maintain public trust, especially when the accused’s reputation has already been tried in the court of public opinion? Justice Pilgrim’s ruling will determine not only this high‑profile case, but also the broader expectations of transparency in Belize’s justice system. Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Judge Wants To Hear From Complainant Before “In Camera” Decision

Elrington rape case is actually heard. After listening to both sides debate whether the trial should be held behind closed doors, Justice Pilgrim shifted focus, directing the DPP to formally outline the complainant’s position. He made it clear, before the court rules on shutting the public out, the complainant’s voice must carry just as much weight as the defendant’s. That statement is due by noon on Thursday. The case picks back up at three, when the defense gets its turn to push back, and by Friday morning at nine, Justice Pilgrim is expected to hand down his decision on whether the proceedings will stay open. Representing the defense is former Attorney General and Senior Counsel Wilfred Elrington, who offered brief comments after the adjournment.

Shane Williams

“Any Statement Senior Counsel on the first time an in camera is being objected to?”

                   Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, S.C., Attorney for Defense

“I don’t know if it is the first time. I used to be a judge, but I can’t remember any of these matters being tried in camera. I just can’t remember. But it has been such a long time. I just don’t remember. Things change.”

Shane Williams

“So, it is not precedent setting that an objection has been made to an in camera hearing for a sexual assault case?”

Wilfred Elrington, SC

“Might be. Might be.”

Shane Williams

“And what’s your take on the arguments that were made?”

Wilfred Elrington, SC

“I think they are both good arguments, both good arguments. Two counsel have been doing very well indeed. So we just have to wait and see what will happen. And the judge seem to be very good. I’m happy about that.” 

Shane Williams

“Any timeline as to when a decision is expected to be made?”

Wilfred Elrington, SC

“I thought he said he’s going to make his decision on Friday morning.”

Reporter

“At nine?”

Wilfred Elrington, SC

“Yes, That’s the impression I got.”

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

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The post Clash Over Open Justice as Court Weighs Closed‑Door Trial for OJ Elrington first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

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The post Hubert Elrington Fails to Meet Judgment Deadline first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

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The post Ellis Meighan’s Murder Case Moves to Independence first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

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The post Dashay Williams Acquitted of Teen Murder first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The National Elite Basketball League tips off its new season on Friday, and fans across the country are gearing up to pack the stands. But behind the excitement of the opening games, one storyline is already turning heads, and reopening old wounds. Soon, one of the players taking the court could be a name Belizeans remember for a very different reason. Vince “Vinnie” Garbutt, who was sentenced to twenty‑two years for the manslaughter of twenty‑four‑year‑old Kayla Burgess, is now out on parole and trying out for the San Pedro Tiger Sharks. For Garbutt, it’s a shot at rebuilding his life. But for Kayla’s family, his return to the spotlight is a painful reminder of a loss they’re still struggling to heal from. We spoke with her brother, Caral Burgess, who says that even as the world moves on, their grief does not.

Caral Burgess, Brother of Deceased

“The process has been hard. You lose somebody very close to the family, which in think in my case, I feel like I lost my princess. I used to call her my princess and the justice system, the guy get twenty-two years. So they explain to you after a certain amount of years he’s eligible to get parole. And besides that, we don’t really follow up on it due to the fact that my mom says in her heart, she has to forgive this guy for her to move on. So mama just said, you know what, we just left it and fit in the hands of God.”

When he was arrested, Vince Garbutt was just twenty‑one, a Galen University student and a rising basketball talent in his community. His future on the court came to an abrupt stop the moment he was charged. But even behind bars, Garbutt never fully stepped away from the game. He kept playing while incarcerated, joining the Kolbe Foundation’s basketball team and staying connected to the sport that once defined him.

Kayla Burgess

Jaime Gonzalez, Head, CIB, San Ignacio (File: Mar 21, 2014 )

“Based on information that we gathered, we located a fellow Vinnie Garbutt, twenty-one years old and his residence was searched based on the strength of our warrant. Whereby we found certain items of evidential value, so far he is detained in custody.”

Caral Burgess says that while the family is trying to heal, closure hasn’t come easy. Now that Garbutt is free, seeing him on the street reignites his pain, but, like his mother, he chooses to take the higher road.

Vinnie Garbutt

Caral Burgess

“We will never get closure, the time weh ih di spend, you’ll never get closure like that. I figure if I do twenty-two years, noh mek ih get no parole after ten or so. Give ah ih years mek ig do ih twnety0two years. I noh believe inna da parole system and how you change you ways and rehabilitate now. You know what I mean? He murder my sister. He murder my sister.”

Kayla Burgess’s family says they understand that prison is meant to reform, and even to rehabilitate. But their concern now is public safety. They’re left wondering whether eleven years is enough for a life that was taken.

Caral Burgess

“Sometimes the system works, right? What would I hurt? If he can get parole, he can come out and he hurt somebody else family. No, you have to watch if system then you have watch pan it wa two-sided way.. Think seven years that rehabilitation or ten years that rehabilitation for him? No, I don’t think so. If you want give ah twenty-two years, make he rehabilitation after twenty-two years.”

We reached out to the San Pedro Tiger Sharks; however, they declined to comment at this time. Britney Gordon f or News Five.

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The post Parolee’s Likely Return to Semi-pro Basketball Reopens Old Wounds first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

It’s been a long and painful seven‑year wait for the family of eighteen‑year‑old Bobby Garcia, but today, they finally saw justice delivered. A High Court judge handed down a fourteen‑year sentence to Pablo Catzim for Garcia’s brutal 2018 murder at the Cahal Pech archaeological site. Catzim was one of two teens initially charged, but his alleged accomplice later walked free after turning crown witness. This afternoon, attorney Bryan Neal, who represented Catzim, shared more insight into how the court arrived at today’s sentence.

                         Bryan Neal

Bryan Neal, Attorney-at-Law

“Firstly, let me start by just echoing what the defendant, the prisoner himself had said, which is that he was sorry for what he had done and he apologized to the family. He apologized to the mother and the father and entire, and the entire society for what he had done. I think the judge took that into consideration in his mitigation and imposed a sentence of fourteen years at the maximum. But under oral laws, if you commit murder when you are under the age of sixteen years, there are special provisions in the criminal code where you must be brought back. So. the judge has ordered him to be brought back in three years to see if he is eligible for release.”

Garcia was lured to his death, stabbed repeatedly in the chest, and had his face and throat slashed, acts so brutal that the attackers even photographed the murder as it happened. Justice Cumberbatch said those disturbing details weighed heavily in Catzim’s sentence, but he also noted Catzim’s progress behind bars: he finished high school with top grades and completed more than a dozen rehab programs. Catzim will return to court in three years, where a judge will decide if he’s ready to reenter society, and the seven years he already spent on remand will count toward his fourteen‑year sentence. Meanwhile, Bobby Garcia’s father says the family remains devastated.

                            Oscar Garcia Sr.

Oscar Garcia Sr., Father of Deceased

“My son, Bobby, there was no second chance. He had no second chance. He will never have a second chance. Criminals, they get second chances. The maximum is fourteen years if I understood well. And after those fourteen years, he is free to integrate into society and continue his life. What about our family? What about my wife was suffered all this. We waited for seven year, four months to listen to our verdict patiently and this is what it has come down to, but it’s absolutely not what I expected.”

Justice Cumberbatch also pointed out that Pablo Catzim, who was only fifteen when the murder happened, grew up in a violent home, abused by his stepfather after losing his biological father, and even struggled with suicidal thoughts. He also started smoking cannabis as early as eleven. Attorney Bryan Neal says the court’s decision gives Catzim a chance to continue turning his life around and, one day, contribute positively to society when he’s released.

Bryan Neal

“He has shown himself to be someone who, if he is reintroduced into society, he can be a productive member of society. Has a strong family background that will cuddle him when he comes out of prison and try to rehabilitate him Everybody deserves a second chance, and this is a call to all parents to take care of your children because the victim in this was a minor. The perpetrator who has been sentenced is a minor. And a lot of our children are going the wrong way. So this is a wake up call to people in this society. Take care of your children and love them.”

Bobby Garcia was just days away from celebrating his nineteenth birthday when his life was cut short. Friends remember him as a quiet kid who loved music, but those closest to him say he was full of energy, full of dreams, and ready to take on the world.

Oscar Garcia Sr.

“ Very energetic very optimistic. He was looking forward to his junior. He had just started junior college in September, October, and he was a business student. He loved music like all teenagers. He had his own dreams of, that he wanted to fulfill.”

Bobby’s family is urging Belizeans to raise their children with more care and guidance, hoping that fewer families will ever have to endure the pain of losing a loved one far too soon. Britney Gordon for News Five.

The post Seven Years Later, Justice Delivered in Bobby Garcia Murder first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                           David McKoy

David McKoy, Attorney-at-Law

“He was convicted, his sentence is twenty-four years, five months. He went through a voir dire and a main trial, the voir dire, he was, successful in the voir dire basically meaning that the voir dire was thrown out. After the voir dire was thrown out, then we went to the main trial and there were certain witnesses that the prosecution was able to satisfy to the court that their version of the events were accurate. And so that’s the reason why he was convicted. He intends to appeal the decision of the court. So I should note that.”

Britney Gordon

“What were some of the factors that were considered in his sentencing today?”

David McKoy,

“The factors were considered in his sentencing was basically that he is a maintenance worker behind Kolbe Foundation. The judge found that he had some appropriate mitigating factors to assist with the sentencing because initially the judge had given him a life sentence of thirty-one years before he’s eligible for parole. But because he spent four years and seven months on remand, it was reduced and a further two years was reduced from that sentence because of his role at the prison.”

Slusher’s attorney says he’s preparing to challenge the conviction, insisting the court didn’t fully weigh the mitigating factors even after reducing his sentence to twenty‑four years.

The post Slusher Gets 24 Years for 2021 Killing of Felix Ack first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

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