From Priority Trial to Collapse: Inside the Failed Prosecution of Wounding Allegations Against Gordon and Weir

1:51

By Alric Lindsay

Today, September 2, 2026, Shamar Gordon and Roshane Weir came before Magistrate Allard in a priority trial to face charges of wounding with intent and carrying an offensive weapon. After arguments were put forward by defence counsels, Amelia Fosuhene (representing Gordon) and Stacy-Ann Kelly (representing Weir), the case against the defendants collapsed.

Speaking to Kelly after the priority trial, she explained to Blackbox Insights that the trial—scheduled for September 2, 2026—could not proceed after Crown Counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions failed to secure the attendance of the complainant, who had left the jurisdiction on May 7, 2026, months before the trial date.

Kelly added that, despite the matter being listed as a priority trial since April 17, 2026, DPP Crown Counsel did not contact the complainant until August 2026. Two days before trial, they applied for the complainant to give evidence via video link, a request that defence counsels strongly opposed.

Kelly emphasized that the DPP’s reliance on both the complainant’s testimony and CCTV footage made remote testimony via telephone inadequate, as it would prevent proper cross-examination. She noted the complainant had been present when the trial date was set but failed to notify the court or prosecution of the complainant’s departure.

Based on the information provided by Kelly, defence counsels argued that DPP Crown Counsel’s negligence and the seven-month delay since the last trial date—during which Weir was without a work permit and struggling to remain on island—made an adjournment unjust. The court agreed, DPP Crown Counsel offered no evidence, and both defendants were acquitted.