'Administrative issues’ delay start of murder trial

The beginning of the trial for murder accused, Cudero Joseph, commenced today after the Director of Public Prosecutions informed the High Court yesterday of “administrative issues” that required immediate attention and which necessitated a delay.
This development came after a 12-member jury and two alternates had been selected, sworn in and instructed by Justice Keith Thom that they would be asked to deliberate on the evidence provided during the trial to determine whether or not the then 20 year old was guilty of the Father’s Day 2011 killing of Coldrick Lewis.
The accused man’s attorney, Sherfield Bowen, did not object to the additional day being granted.
Joseph has been on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison for almost six years, given that he had been detained just hours after the deadly shooting on June 19, 2011.
The deceased, a 52-year-old father of three, was shot in the face during a robbery at Clary’s Bar, which was located not too far from his apartment in the lower Gambles, Fort Road area.
The shooting victim was among the patrons at the bar at about 8:30 pm, when a lone gunman opened fire while robbing the female owner of the establishment, a bartender and patrons, of jewellery and other valuables.
The masked perpetrator was reportedly joined by another person, who assisted in committing the crime before the duo fled the scene on foot, into some nearby bushes.
It was only after the robbery and while trying to account for all the victims, which included a six-month-old baby, that it was discovered that Lewis was wounded. He was rushed to the hospital by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) where he was pronounced dead.
Joseph was said to have matched the description of the armed, masked assailant.