Teen charged with murder

(CNS): Updated 2:30 pm. A 16-year-old boy arrested last month in relation to the fatal shooting of Marcos Mauricio Gauman Duran appeared in court this morning charged with the murder. The teenager arrived at court on crutches as a result of a gunshot wound he received on the night the crown alleged the youngster killed Duran. Represented by Lloyd Sampson, the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was seeking bail because of his need for specialist care as a result of his severe leg injury. Samson also suggested the young boy would be at risk if he were to be held in custody at Eagle House. The crown objected on the grounds of the seriousness of the offence but  Magistrate Margaret Ramsey-Hale deferred the bail hearing in lieu of more information.

Samson said he had concerns about the cogency of the crown’s case as he said that while his client’s DNA may have been found at the scene, there was no evidence that the teenager committed any crime.

The crown, however, alleges that the young man went to the address in Maliwanas Way, West Bay, on Thursday 11 March to rob the deceased. During the incident the defendant received a gunshot wound and left blood at the scene before he made his escape to Birch Tree Hill Lane from where a call was made to the emergencies services reporting his injuries, the prosecution said.

The teenager, who is still receiving treatment after major surgery, was arrested on Thursday 8 April in relation to the murder and was charged with the crime this morning (Monday 12 April.)

Samson told the court during the bail application that his client was not a flight risk, not least because of his condition but because he also had family support. The lawyer said his client was a candidate for an electronic monitoring device. The magistrate remanded the teen in custody overnight as she deferred the matter until tomorrow morning.

Duran, an Ecuadorian national from George Town, was killed as he was visiting an apartment on Maliwinas Way and was the third murder victim of 2010.