(CNS): The mother of Jeremiah Barnes, who was shot and killed in West Bay in February, made an impassioned plea to the court this morning that the man accused of killing her son be dealt with speedily. Devon Anglin, who is facing murder charges for the shooting of the 4-year-old boy at Hell Gas Station, West Bay, on 15 February appeared at the opening of the new session of the Grand Court on Wednesday morning. As Anglin came to the dock, Dorlisa Ebanks (left) asked the chief justice if she could speak to the court and her request was allowed. She said that her family had been given a life sentence and she asked the court to set a date for the trial and to stick to it so her family did not have to endure further suffering.(Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Ebanks, who was in the car at the time her child was shot and killed, said she did not wish to keep returning to the court to face the man in the dock and she asked for the matter to be dealt with as speedily as possible.
However, despite her pleas to the court, a trial date could not be fixed as a result of various matters, but both the crown and defence said they anticipated that it would be in March or April of next year. Although it is anticipated that Anglin will be pleading not guilty, he did not enter his plea as he made his first appearance in the Grand Court regarding this case.
Anglin’s attorney, Clyde Allen, asked that the charges not be put to his client Wednesday as a result of questions that had arisen from the indictment for the murder and a second indictment on another related case, both of which were only given to the defence on Monday. Allen asked for an adjournment to address the issues and another mention date when Anglin could be arraigned.
The court heard that the goal was for the two cases, including the murder, to be heard in succession over a four week period. The chief justice asked the lawyers to consider what the victim’s mother had said and asked them to move the case along.
Anglin is accused of being the gunman who came from behind the gas station with another man and opened fire on the vehicle in which Jeremiah and his family, including his mother, brother and father Andy Barnes, were sitting as it was parked on the station forecourt at around 8:30 in the evening.
