April 25, 2024
Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Jamaica
LATEST NEWS THE COURTS

Accused in Stewart Town chopping murder makes appearance in court

The man charged with the gruesome chopping incident, which left one dead and another severely wounded in Stewart Town, on Tuesday night, May 2, made his first court appearance in the St Mary Parish Court last week.

The accused man, Dwight Walker, was remanded into custody for a bail application to be heard on Thursday, June 1.

Walker was slapped with charges of murder and attempted murder relating to the chopping death of 23-year-old Jovane Simms, otherwise called ‘Chin’ and the wounding of his cousin, Andrenick Buchanan, otherwise called ‘Nick’ also 23, both of Comma in Mango Valley, St Mary.

Walker’s case appeared before the committal new list, but no details of the murder case were revealed in court.

Presiding senior parish judge Yvette Wentworth-Miller was presented with a preliminary report into the case.

The crown prosecutor later asked for another week for a bail application as she had not had the chance to examine the file.

As a result, Walker was remanded into custody until June 1.

In an incident that brought shock and grief to the Stewart Town community, Jovane Simms, who had a physical impairment was mercilessly chopped to death for reasons that still remain unclear, weeks after his gruesome demise.

Both Jovane Simms and his cousin, Andrenick Buchanan worked as labourers in Rio Nuevo and it was their regular routine to get food from the restaurant their aunt worked in Stewart Town, before leaving for home and work.

On Tuesday night, May 2, at around 7 p.m., Simms and Buchanan were on their usual journey to their aunt’s restaurant in Stewart Town when they were apparently caught by surprise.

Simms was chopped in the neck and died at the scene across the road from where his aunt worked at a restaurant.

Simms’ cousin, Buchanan received chops to his head and hands.

He managed to escape from his attacker and was rescued by a passerby.

Two men were later listed as persons of interests in the matter and on Thursday, May 4, both were handed over to the police. One of those men was later released from custody.