It’s Clear They Want To Throw Karim Nelson To The Dogs: Lawyer

(Kingstown – St Vincent) – Lawyer Kay Bacchus Baptiste says it is clear that they want to throw Assistant DPP Karim Nelson to the dogs.

Bacchus Baptiste was speaking outside of the Serious Offences Court in Kingstown, representing her client Cornelius John. The latter now faces three charges after being shot and beaten on his property on April 13th.

“This matter cries out for a joint enterprise charge. Could you imagine Karim being convicted and Ashelle is acquitted because they cannot prove she assaulted my client, and Karim, who went there with her, is convicted, because there is no charge against my client when it comes to Karim, none”? 

“They tried very much to bring a charge with some cutlass, they tried, they interviewed the witnesses over and over and when I say witnesses, I mean the police who went to my client’s home, and they just could not bring a charge for any cutlass, so we are left with these little charges about threatening language.”

“How could they not bring a joint enterprise charge? It is clear that they are throwing Karim to the dogs, and if I were him, I would not use the same lawyer she is using”.

In All My Years Of Practice Nothing Like This

“I am so disgusted that an offense so great, shooting a man in his yard and breaking his legs, can only be slapped with one charge for Ashelle and two for Karim and summary trial.”

“In all my years of practice, these sorts of charges should be more serious, indictable before judge and jury. So now they put it summary charges at the Magistrate Court in Calliaqua, and my client’s matter has been transferred to that court as well”.

“Normally, a matter between a husband and wife is heard in the family court,” Bacchus Baptiste said.

One of John’s charges is that of Threatening Language in respect of complaints made by Mrs. Nicole John, his wife.

Bacchus Baptiste said what is happening goes against all the rules of justice.

“It goes against all the principles and rules of justice, and I cannot see how the application of the prosecutorial code could justify those minor charges and his charges to be almost in the same category.”

Bacchus Baptiste said the third person’s absence is a severe indictment on the administration justice.

“The fact that there has been no joint enterprise charge cries out for justice because if you don’t charge Ashelle with initial trespass and the other two, where are we going, this is what started everything.”

“I am accustomed to the prosecution laying out all the possible charges, sometimes 9, 8, 7 charges, for incidents like this”.

“I would like to know what are they alleging Ashelle assaulted my client with, because I see no firearm charges, for not having a licensed firearm, there is a lot more to be discovered in this matter.”

Need Full Disclosure

Bacchus Baptiste said she would ask “for full disclosure in writing.” She said the way the charges were laid; full disclosure might not reveal the third person. However, she will be writing and asking for that.

“If I have to take this all the way to “the High Court, Court of Appeal, wherever, we will get the identity of that third person.”

Bacchus Baptiste said she is not convinced that the DPP did all that she could do if it were different defendants.

The case moves to the Calliaqua Magistrate courts on July 5th.