And back in court, a mentally challenged man walked from a murder charge yesterday after the DPP filed a Nolle Pros. 57-year-old Donald Heredia was charged with fatally stabbing his girlfriend, 51-year-old Jennifer Coleman, back in August 2016. Coleman was reportedly stabbed multiple time to her neck and throat inside her apartment on Aventura Street in Caye Caulker. Though Heredia is mentally ill, his attorney, Darrell Bradley, explained that his mental state had no bearing on the trial. He also said in an interview yesterday that he had prepared to defend his client had the Nolle Pros not been entered.
Darrell Bradley, Attorney
"This matter would have been something on the 23rd of August 2016 and the allegations were that the murder of Jennifer Coleman would have occurred late in the evening/early morning. This matter was pending for some time, there was a degree of urgency in wanting to bring the matter to trial. Today the matter was set for trial but the prosecutor, Mr Cattouse, entered a nolle prosequi saying that the director of public prosecutor will not continue with the proceeding so Mr Donald Heredia was sent home this morning."
"If there was a reason, he didn't tell me, so I don't necessarily know what the reason was. Our position was clearly that our client was innocent, he didn't do it, we provided an alibi statement as is required by law to police in advance of today's hearing, we were ready to defend the matter fully, we had indicated our position both at the case management and in terms of our alibi statement and witness and for whatever reason the DPP opted not to proceed at this time."
"One of the issues was whether or not somebody legally can be fit to stand trial, whether or not they can properly instruct council, whether or not they can actively participate in their defense, they can be a witness, we had several doctors examine Mr Heredia in terms of meeting the standard of fitness to plea, to understand what is a plea, to be able to participate in your defense and the doctor certified that that was not an issue."
Later, it was learnt that the Nolle Pros was entered after the police were unable to locate four of the crown's main witnesses.
Heredia had been on bail since 2019.
