Lamar Albury, pictured at an earlier court appearance, has been found not guilty of the December 19, 2015, murder of Devince Smith. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
TWO men made initial appearances in Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon separately charged in connection with two murders.
Lamar Albury, 25, stood first before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt accused of intentionally causing the death of Devince Smith on December 19, 2015. He was charged with murder under Section 291 (1)(B) of the Penal Code.
A charge under this section does not attract the discretionary death penalty if a conviction is reached at the end of trial.
According to initial reports from police, Smith’s partially decomposed body was found shortly after 2.30pm on December 21 at his St Alban’s Drive apartment. At the time, police said the victim appeared to have blunt force trauma.
Officers were alerted to the scene after relatives, who had not heard from the victim, went to his home and found him dead in the living room.
Smith was a sports coach and local banker. He is also a former president of the New Providence Volleyball Association.
Albury was not allowed to enter a plea to the charge due to the nature of the offence.
The case is to be forwarded to the Supreme Court through the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment on February 24, 2016.
Albury was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services, however, he has the right to apply for bail at the Supreme Court.
He has retained Wayne Munroe, QC, to represent him.
In another arraignment, 21-year-old Daquille Edgecombe was also charged with murder.
It is alleged that he killed Richard Charlton Jr on November 17.
According to police reports, Charlton, 22, was walking on Butler Street when he was approached by a grey vehicle from which two men opened fire.
The incident occurred around 11am on the day in question and police discovered Charlton Jr lifeless with multiple gunshots wounds to the upper body.
Edgecombe also returns to Magistrate’s Court on February 24 for the case to be fast-tracked to Supreme Court.
He too was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services.
He informed the chief magistrate that he has retained attorney Ian Cargill to represent him.
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