The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

MORE than five years after a man was charged with murder, prosecutors yesterday produced a written directive at trial from the attorney general requesting that proceedings against him be discontinued.

Robert Ryan Smith, 29, was standing trial in the Supreme Court before Senior Justice Stephen Isaacs concerning the June 2011 murder of Winfield Kino Smith.

Smith was the victim of a drive-by shooting on East Street on June 17, 2011 and died in hospital a week later.

In yesterday’s proceeding, Crown prosecutor Algernon Allen II presented a nolle prosequi - a notice abandoning prosecution - signed by Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson to the court.

Senior Justice Isaacs accepted the directives and told the accused man that regarding the current trial, the Crown would discontinue the case against him.

However, the judge informed him that the Crown had the right to reintroduce the charges at a future date if they wished.

The jury, which had been empanelled on Monday, heard testimony from Sgt Paul Lewis who said he responded to the scene of a fatal shooting on East Street South on June 17, 2011.

When he arrived to the area of Porky’s Gas Station, he saw a bleeding man on the ground suffering from apparent gunshot wounds about the body.

While paramedics attended to the man, Sgt Lewis said he saw some 10 projectiles on the ground.

The officer said he then received information from a civilian, which led him to alert the patrol room to put out an all-points bulletin (APB) for a vehicle.

Smith, who denied the murder charge and was on bail, was defended by lawyer Murrio Ducille.