Proceedings against teenager for knife murder of schoolmate dropped | RJR News

By Racquel Porter

The St. James Family Court on Monday dismissed the case against the 14-year-old Irwin High School student who was accused of stabbing his 15-year-old schoolmate to death in April.

His lawyer Maurice McCurdy said Radio Jamaica News that the court had granted the motions arguing the student's innocence.

“The prosecution failed to prove that the killing was unlawful, that the accused was the person who committed the killing, that the accused had any intention to kill or inflict grievous bodily harm. The entire case was inadequate and therefore the accused should not have been brought before the Supreme Court to stand trial in this matter. Since the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case, the right thing was done, which was to drop the charges against the accused,” he said.

The lawyer immediately emphasized that the defense sympathized with the deceased's family despite Monday's court decision.

“I am aware of the grieving family and think of them constantly. We would all have preferred not to be so burdened under these circumstances,” he said Radio Jamaica News.

The 14-year-old student was charged after stabbing his schoolmate, 15-year-old Raniel Plummer, to death on April 18.

Plummer was reportedly approached and attacked by a group of students after leaving the St. James High School grounds.

According to police reports, Plummer was stabbed in the chest by the 14-year-old student during the attack and was taken to Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he died during treatment.

It was claimed that the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation.