Julio Deveaux, 18, outside court yesterday. He is accused of three murders. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
ljohnson@tribunemedia.net
AN 18-year-old appeared in Magistrate’s Court yesterday facing multiple murder charges.
Julio Deveaux of Morley Street was flanked by armed policemen as he was escorted into the Nassau and South Streets court complex to stand before Acting Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain concerning two separate shootings that occurred in September 2016 and June of this year.
He was one of two men brought to face murder charges in separate matters yesterday.
The murder charges brought against Deveaux were made 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.
It is alleged that he, being concerned with others, caused the deaths of Makenzie Telusnord and Mark Davis on September 13, 2016 and the attempted murder of eight-year-old Avanti Morley on the same date.
Deveaux was further accused of intentionally causing the death of Zachary Williams Jr on June 5 of this year.
He was not required to enter a plea to any of the charges given their nature and was told his case would be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court on September 14 through the presentation of a voluntary bill of indictment.
Deveaux was remanded to prison but can apply for bail.
He has retained attorney Ian Cargill to represent him.
Meanwhile, Rico Taylor, 24, of Flemming and West Streets stood next before the magistrate, accused of being concerned with others and intentionally causing the death of Ashanton Akeem Newbold on July 21.
Taylor claimed he was beaten while in police custody.
The murder charge was also brought under Section 291(1)(B) of the Penal Code.
The judge informed the accused he would not be allowed to enter a plea because his case would be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court, also scheduled for September 14.
However, due to the nature of the charge, Taylor was denied bail and remanded to the Department of Correctional Services. He was advised of his right to apply for bail in the Supreme Court.
During the arraignment, Taylor asked the court: “Can I get a speedy trial?”
When asked by the judge if he had a reason, Taylor responded: “‘Cause I never do this.”
“When you get to the Supreme Court you can ask,” Acting Chief Magistrate Swain replied.
The judge made a note of Taylor’s allegation of police brutality for the record.
Stanley Rolle, from the Office of the Public Defender, appeared for Taylor.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.