The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport

Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – After eluding authorities for 18 days, wanted fugitive Jonathan Cooper was arraigned on Wednesday in the Freeport magistrate’s court accused of murdering a Garden Villas man.

Cooper, 27, appeared in Court 3 before Deputy Chief Magistrate Helen Jones.

He is accused of intentionally causing the death of 44-year-old Paul Ricardo Ferguson at Freeport on April 18. Ferguson was stabbed to death at his residence on Weddell Avenue. An all points bulletin was issued for Cooper, who was arrested on Monday.

Cooper was represented by lawyer Simeon Brown. He was not required to enter a plea to the murder charge.

Cooper was denied bail. He was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) until August 27 when a preliminary inquiry will be held. During his arraignment, Magistrate Jones also informed Cooper that he had three outstanding traffic matters in court.

She told him that he had three outstanding fines totalling some $750.

“If you do not pay them today you will have to serve sentence on them which is one month each,” she told Cooper.

Mr Brown said that as Cooper will be remanded to HMP until August he will have served time on them.