Thirty-year-old Dexter John, who was arrested and slapped with an indictable Non-Capital Murder charge in connection with the death of Tyrone Bernard, 37, in the Town of Grenville, St. Andrew last month, is currently awaiting a date to be set for his bail application to be heard before a Judge at St. George’s High Court.
This was disclosed by American-trained Attorney-at-law Jerry Edwin, who is providing legal counsel for John, who is the fourth St. Andrew resident to be slapped with a murder charge since the start of the year.
Although the matter is currently before Magistrate Francine Foster at the Grenville Magistrate’s Court, the Magistracy does not have the purview to grant bail for indictable offenses.
According to Attorney Edwin, John’s bail application was filed at the Supreme Court Registry last week Thursday.
“The bail application was filed last week Thursday, and we are currently waiting on the Supreme Court Registrar to fix a date when the matter can be heard,” he said.
“We have provided the same documents to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). We don’t know what their position is as yet but we intend to make a strong argument that Dexter John should be released on bail,” he added.
Bernard, who has been described as no stranger to the Court, became the country’s fourth homicide for the year, after succumbing to multiple injuries inflicted on his back and left arm, during the stabbing incident, which occurred around 3.30 p.m. on Ben Jones Street on July 3.
Eye witnesses have labeled the deceased as the instigator of the incident that occurred within proximity to the Grenville Magistrate’s Court during a social gathering that was being held as part of the 2022 Carnival launch in the big parish of St. Andrew.
Attorney Edwin, who had informed the Court of his intention to proceed with a Preliminary Inquiry into the matter during the first hearing last month, is convinced that “an objective look at the case will in fact, persuade a judge to grant bail” (to his client).
“We think that the circumstances in particular under which Tyrone met his demise (and) what we have learned from our investigation is that after Tyrone (the deceased) assaulted Dexter, he was then attacked by several persons,” the attorney told THE NEW TODAY.
The deceased was the brother of Byron Bernard, who is currently serving a 9-year sentence at the Richmond Hill Prison after being convicted of arson in connection with the burning of a dwelling house in 2018.