Almost two (2) years after being arrested and charged with Non-Capital Murder in connection to the May 7, 2020 death of Westerhall resident, Ronaldo Wyse, 54, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has decided to discontinue the case brought against mentally-challenged Brenton Williams, who resided at the same village but has been on remand at the Richmond Hill Prison for last 21 months.
The Crown has determined that the 32 year old Williams, who does not have a history of violence, was forced to defend himself after receiving a blow to the face and back with a cutlass during an unprovoked altercation with the deceased.
In his statement to police investigators, Williams, who received multiple stab wounds and abrasions to his body said, he managed to disarm his attacker with a cutlass, and overpowered him during a scuffle on the ground for a small knife which he had in his possession at the time of the attack.
The assailant, who sources described as a major trouble maker in the Westerhall area, died as a result of hypovolemic shock after receiving stab wounds to the chest, which ripped through his ribcage and damaged his heart.
With no one coming forth as an eyewitness to provide a different account of what transpired, the Crown could have only relied on the statement given to the police by the murder-accused, who has been a frequent patient at the Mt. Gay Mental Hospital.
In an interview with THE NEW TODAY on Wednesday, Senior Crown Counsel in the office of the DPP, Howard Pinnock said that in the absence of an eyewitness, although someone died, the Prosecution will not be able to disprove that the mentally-challenged man was not acting in self-defense, hence the discontinuation of the matter to avoid wasting judicial time.
“We have to (be able to) prove that beyond reasonable doubt that the killing was not in lawful self-defense and these circumstances, we cannot prove that,” the Senior Crown Counsel added.
Pinnock explained that although Williams, who was homeless at the time of the fatal stabbing incident, has been freed from the charges, he will remain housed at the Richmond Hill Prison, until a safe place is prepared for him.
American-trained Attorney-at-Law Jerry Edwin is providing pro-bono service in the matter, which has been adjourned to March 30, when Williams’ mother is expected to report progress on her search for a home for the mentally challenged son.
Attorney Edwin also provided legal counsel for Dexter Joseph, another mentally challenged man from the sister isle of Petite Martinique, who was also declared a free man during Friday’s court sitting, after spending over 11 years on remand at the Richmond Hill Prison awaiting trial on Arson charges.
Joseph appeared before Justice Paula Gilford at the St. George’s No. 1 High Court for the final time last week Friday for the matter dating back to 2011 and was brought against Joseph by another individual who claimed that he had set his house on fire.
The state prosecution team was not able to try the matter because Joseph is also mentally challenged, and was deemed unfit to enter a plea or to stand trial for the offense.
Pinnock, who informed the Court of the State prosecution team’s decision at last week Friday’s sitting at the St. George’s No. 1 High Court, also shed light on this development during Wednesday’s interview with THE NEW TODAY in explaining the rationale behind the Crown’s decision to discontinue the matter after all these years.
He noted that Joseph, who has been receiving treatment for his mental condition while on remand at the Richmond Hill Prison, “is doing much better mentally, and so, we have decided that having been at the prison for over 11 years, he would have basically served his sentence, and we discontinued the matter.”
According to the Senior Crown Counsel, arrangements have also been made with the law enforcement authorities on the sister isle of Carriacou, to assist with ensuring that the Petite Martinique resident, who was sent home last week Friday, is taken to the health clinic to receive his mental health medication at least once a week.
Dexter Joseph was one of three (3) mentally ill inmates on remand at the overcrowded Richmond Hill Prison, awaiting trial for over 10 years, having been deemed unfit to participate in the court proceedings.
The others were Gabriel Stevenson, who has been charged with maiming, and Douglas Forbes for the offense of murder.
Commenting on these developments in an interview with reporters last week Friday, the outspoken attorney Edwin, who has long cited the need for a proper facility to house mentally challenged offenders, reiterated the call and spoke of plans to take the Grenada government to court on the issue.
“We will be bringing a suit against the Government of Grenada…to say, as is the case in other jurisdictions within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), that you cannot keep persons who are mentally challenged, who cannot form the intent to commit the crime,” said the attorney.
“They should never be kept in prison…we should never keep these persons who have a mental disease alongside persons who have committed crimes…and we will use the court to find relief because the judges, prosecutors, civil society have been calling for it…to put them in prison with wrongdoers, offenders, I think and everyone has agreed, the law has agreed, they should never be brought in prison,” the attorney contended.
“It does not take much to build a wing at the Mt. Gay Mental Hospital,” said Attorney Edwin, who noted that at this point, “we are talking about (finding a suitable facility to cater for) less than a dozen persons.”