A historic murder trial is set to place in Antigua and Barbuda this week, as the country holds its first ever Judge only murder trial.
The decision to hold a judge-only trial stems from the Criminal Proceedings (Trial by Judge Alone) Act, enacted in 2021 amid the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This legislation aimed to address the backlog of cases resulting from the inability to convene juries due to the pandemic. The Act was made permanent a few months ago.
The trial will feature Jeffrey Daniel, who is charged with the murder of 56-year-old David Roberts, an incident that transpired in 2021.
According to reports, the alleged altercation between Daniel and Roberts occurred on May 21 of that year. The two individuals were known to each other. Roberts’ lifeless body was discovered near his residence, displaying visible injuries. A doctor pronounced Roberts dead at 9:05 am on that day.
