Co-accused in ‘gunwoman’ case still without lawyer

WESTERN BUREAU:

CEON KNIGHT, the man charged alongside accused gunwoman Sudeen Hylton in relation to the August 12, 2021, shooting death of Richard Baker in Glendevon, St James, will need to secure legal representation before his next appearance in the St James Parish Court on March 8.

Knight, who is charged with murder along with Hylton, appeared in court and was subsequently remanded yesterday after his former attorney, Shelly-Ann Hyman, told presiding judge Kaysha Grant that she would no longer be appearing in the matter.

“I do not represent Mr Knight. I did appear for him in relation to the bail application, but his relatives think I was born last night, so I no longer appear for him,” said Hyman, in suggesting that certain obligations to retain her as Knight’s lawyer had not been met.

“So you are withdrawing from the matter?” Grant asked.

“Yes, your honour,” Hyman answered.

During a previous court hearing on November 30, the court was told that Knight was expected to hold discussions with his family in order to retain Hyman as his lawyer. At that time, Knight had requested additional time to complete those arrangements.

Meanwhile, during yesterday’s hearing, the prosecution revealed that the post-mortem report and a DNA analysis report in the matter were still outstanding from its case-file. It was also revealed that certain documents had not yet been disclosed to Hylton’s lawyer, Michael Hemmings.

Additionally, Hylton’s bail, which was renewed last month following an attack on her by gunmen, was extended to the next court date of March 8. Hylton had been reporting at the Hanover-based Ramble Police Station as part of her previous bail conditions at the time the attack took place on December 9.

The allegations against Hylton and Knight are that on August 12, 2021, the now-deceased Baker was driving along the Salt Spring main road in St. James when he stopped to check something on his vehicle. A white Toyota Axio motor car drove up beside him and the occupants opened fire on him, hitting him multiple times before speeding off.

Baker managed to drive away from the scene and encountered a police patrol, to which he gave a report of what happened and pointed them in the direction of the getaway car. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he died while being treated.

Acting on Baker’s information, the police reportedly pursued the shooters and caught up to them at Sam Sharpe Square, where Hylton was subsequently discovered to be the getaway car’s driver. She was arrested and later questioned in the presence of her attorney, following which she was charged.

Hylton’s arrest highlighted the issue of women being directly involved in shootings and murders, with former western Jamaica top cop, Clive ‘Karate Georgie’ Lawrence, declaring that he had never encountered gun-toting women in his career.

While law enforcement has previously acknowledged women as having aided and abetted gangsters in their illegal activities, there have been no known cases of gunwomen as opposed to gunmen.