Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

Supreme Court Judge Norma McIntosh on Monday expressed concern that the five murder cases on the court list had to be put off for various reasons.

"It is frustrating for witnesses and accused persons to come to court to find that the case is being taken out of the list," the judge commented.

The trial of 25-year-old labourer Prince Vale, who is accused of murdering Anglican priest, Father Richard Johnson, was one of the cases that was put off yesterday in the Home Circuit Court.

Attorney-at-law Melrose Reid, who is representing Vale, told the judge that it was late last week Friday afternoon that she received additional statements and the DNA results from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Vale's bail was extended until June 23 when his trial will commence.

Fatally stabbed near church

Father Johnson was fatally stabbed at his residence near the St Jude's Anglican Church, Stony Hill, on November 12, 2006.

The trial of 42-year-old Kingston businessman Steve Bitter, who is charged with the murder of his 90-year-old grandfather, was put off to June 2 because Dr Ere Seshaiah, who performed the post-mortem, is not available.

Bitter's bail was extended. It was reported at first that the deceased, Ronald Bitter, had fallen and hurt himself but the post mortem report disclosed that there were broken ribs and damage to his liver. The injuries were consistent with a severe beating.

The Crown is alleging that, on September 16, 2003, Bitter severely beat his grandfather resulting in his death.

Accused Lisa Nelson, who is charged along with Phillip Allen and Derrick Weetom for the murder of her husband Marlon 'Deon' Nelson, is to be tried with her co-accused on May 26.

The trial could not start on Monday because adequate notice was not given to two witnesses from The Cayman Islands.

The deceased, who was a Jamaican working as a security guard in Cayman, was fatally shot in August 2006 shortly after he landed in Jamaica. The badly decomposed body was found days later floating in the sea at the Buccaneer Beach, in Kingston.

The murder case of Ian McKay was put off to June 9 for trial because of another murder case that was entering its second week, yesterday.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com