By Latrishka Thomas
The Crown did not get past its opening statements before the trial against accused murderer Mikhail Gomes was cut short yesterday.
Just seconds after Attorney Andrew O’Kola, who is prosecuting the case, finished giving the jury a summary of the case, defense Attorney Lawrence Daniels asked to speak to the prosecution and the presiding Judge Colin Williams in his chambers.
Before scurrying off, Daniels was observed taking a document from the accused who was seated in the dock.
The jury sat patiently awaiting the Judge’s return but before that, family members of the accused were called to the Judge’s chambers and Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Armstrong was called from his office.
More than 15 minutes later, the Judge returned and told the jury that the matter will be adjourned until October 19.
After dismissing the jury, the Judge ordered all non-court staff to excuse themselves.
Discussions then continued for quite a while, but Observer is unclear about what exactly took place.
Gomes is on trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Vincia James.
James, of New Winthorpes, has been missing since April 7, 2017 when she disappeared without a trace. It is believed that Gomes, her ex-boyfriend, killed her.
The mother-of-one was last seen on surveillance camera leaving her Old Parham Road workplace, Dixie Operations Ltd, shortly after 1pm on the day in question.
And even after several island-wide searches, her body has never been found.
Some time after her disappearance, Gomes was charged with her murder.
Gomes denies killing her, but the prosecutors believe there is enough circumstantial evidence to proceed with a trial.
Additional evidence appeared to have been discovered in October 2021.
It was said that a fisherman found James’ identification cards in a pond in the North Sound area.
The murder accused is currently out on bail after a High Court judge granted him temporary freedom in 2020.