After spending almost seven (7) weeks on remand at the Richmond Hill Prison, charged with Non-Capital Murder in connection with the July stabbing death of Tyrone Bernard, who resided at Griffin Lane, Grenville, St. Andrew, murder accused 33-year old Dexter John was on Tuesday reunited with his family after posting $100,000.00 bail at the St. George’s High Court.
Bail was granted to the Grenville, St. Andrew resident by High Court Judge Madam Justice Victoria Charles-Clarke at the St. George’s No.2 High Court with two (2) sureties, along with an order to report to the Grenville Police Station twice weekly.
There was no objection to bail by the Prosecution team, led by Senior Crown Counsel Howard Pinnock.
“We are happy (that) he has rejoined his family, and we think that the charge will not stand,” attorney for the murder accused, Jerry Edwin told THE NEW TODAY in an interview on Wednesday.
The American-trained lawyer anticipates that his client will reappear in Court in early September to answer the charge, which is currently before Magistrate Francine Foster who presides over the Grenville Magistrate’s Court, in St. Andrew.
“We are going to go through a Preliminary Inquiry in this case. There will be no paper committal so that all the evidence could be adduced because our position is that Dexter John did not strike the fatal blow that caused the death of Tyrone Bernard. It was in fact, the crowd who gathered because when Dexter struck Tyrone in his arm he then went straight to the Grenville Police Station to report what happened, and then he learned that Tyrone has been stabbed multiple times by members of the crowd,” said attorney Edwin.
Tyrone, who had been described as no stranger to the court became the country’s fourth homicide for 2022, after succumbing to multiple injuries inflicted on his back and left arm, during a stabbing incident, which occurred around 3.30 p.m. on Ben Jones Street, in the town of Grenville on July 3.
Eyewitnesses have labeled the deceased as the instigator of the incident that occurred within proximity to the Grenville Magistrate’s Court, amid a huge social gathering that was being held as part of the 2022 Carnival launch in St. Andrew.
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.