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Wadadli Case Files, Saint John's (2026)

27/07/2026

Social media influencer and popular tattoo artist Oszie Kelvin Russell, known as "Mongoose," was released at around 12 o'clock today, after serving his time on a fi****ms conviction.

Russell had been sentenced to three years and six months in April last year, for possession of an unlicensed 9mm G***k pistol, ammunition, and a suppressor. Police found the items during a search of his Lightfoot residence, where he allegedly tried to toss evidence out a bedroom window as officers announced themselves.

But that sentence didn't stick. Back in March, Russell was among five men who won a joint appeal after the Court of Appeal found errors in how their sentences had been calculated. His term was cut down to one year, 10 months and 20 days.

Attorneys Wendel Alexander and Andrew Okola argued the appeal, which also benefited Malique Challenger, Ricardo Howell, Jeson Cedeno, and Jamal Prince — all convicted on separate fi****ms charges. Alexander successfully showed that a magistrate had wrongly applied the totality principle in constructing the sentences, tacking on extra months that shouldn't have been added.

With his reduced sentence now served, Mongoose walked out a free man today.

23/07/2026

A jury has found a man guilty of ra**ng a minor at her home in February 2023, rejecting his account that he never had physical contact with her and that she fabricated the allegation to shift blame away from a young man she had been involved with.

The complainant, who was 14 at the time, told the High Court that the accused was a neighbour she saw often but rarely interacted with, since she tended to stay indoors. She testified that on the day in question she was home alone waiting for dance practice when the defendant knocked on her door asking for her aunt. When she told him her aunt wasn't home, she said, he pushed his way inside and assaulted her in her grandmother's room, ignoring her pleas to stop. She said she was menstruating at the time and that the in*******se worsened the pain she was already experiencing.

The defence, led by attorney Sherfield Bowen, focused heavily on inconsistencies between what the complainant initially told police and the second account she gave later. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged that her first statement to police described a lesser incident — that the defendant had touched her before realising she was menstruating and leaving. She agreed this account omitted what she says truly happened.

The defence suggested this discrepancy stemmed from the complainant trying to conceal an unrelated matter — that a boy, a school friend, had visited her at home that day in violation of a house rule. She acknowledged fearing punishment over the visit but firmly denied that this was the reason she changed her account, testifying that she only gave the full story once she learned she would undergo a medical examination and after speaking to her grandmother, who was the person she was comfortable confiding in. She also said her fear centred on the possibility that the defendant might return and hurt her.

In re-examination, she maintained there was nothing romantic between her and the boy, describing their time together as watching television and talking about school before he left.

After all the witnesses had given evidence, the defendant gave an unsworn statement in which he said he had gone to speak with the complainant about her wrongdoing involving a young man. He claimed that after the results of a medical examination came back, she decided to blame him instead of the young man, insisting that he had no physical contact with her at all.

The jury did not accept his account and returned a guilty verdict.

23/07/2026

A worker at the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board has been found guilty of wounding a female colleague after a judge rejected her claim that she acted in self-defence during a physical altercation at the workplace.

Rockell Browne was convicted following a judge-only trial before Justice John Spencer, who found her guilty of wounding the complainant, who was also employed at the Transport Board.

In the case prosecuted by Crown Counsel Curtis Cornelius, the court heard that Browne and the complainant were not friends but were not known to be enemies either. The complainant testified that on several occasions prior to the incident, Browne would brush against her shoulder, though she never formally reported those encounters.

The matter came to a head on the day of the incident in December 2022, when the complainant was entering a room to retrieve her bag after clocking out from work. The two women met in the doorway, and as the complainant continued on her way, Browne pushed her with such force that her back struck a light switch, turning off the lights in the room. A fight then broke out between the two women.

A third party attempted to intervene and stop the altercation. During the struggle, Browne grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the complainant three times.

In her defence, Browne maintained that she was acting in self-defence, telling the court that both women had ganged up and fought her. She claimed it was in fact the complainant who would jam into her on occasions, and said she had reported this behaviour to three supervisors. However, one of those supervisors testified during the trial that she never received any such complaints from Browne.

Browne further suggested that the person who intervened in the fight ended up beating her as well, alleging that the intervener was romantically involved with the complainant. A witness to the incident also gave evidence during the trial.

Justice Spencer did not accept Browne's version of events.

Browne was represented by attorney Wendel Alexander. She has been remanded into custody and is due to return to court for sentencing on September 25.

20/07/2026

A young girl told the High Court that a neighbour r***d her at her home in February 2023 while she was menstruating, in testimony given as part of an ongoing trial where the defence has challenged her account.

The complainant described the accused as a neighbour she saw often but rarely interacted with, since she tended to stay indoors. She told the court that on the day in question she was 14 and at home alone waiting for dance practice when the defendant knocked on her door asking for her aunt. When she told him her aunt wasn't home, she said, he pushed his way inside and assaulted her in her grandmother's room, ignoring her pleas to stop. She said she was in pain from menstruating and the in*******se exacerbated the pain.

The defence, led by attorney Sherfield Bowen, focused heavily on inconsistencies between what the complainant initially told police and the fuller account she gave later. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged that her first statement to police described a lesser incident — that the defendant had touched her before realising she was menstruating and leaving. She agreed this account omitted what she says truly happened.

The defence suggested this discrepancy stemmed from the complainant trying to conceal an unrelated matter — that a boy, a school friend, had visited her at home that day in violation of a house rule. She acknowledged fearing punishment over the visit but firmly denied that this was the reason she changed her account, testifying that she only gave the full story once she learned she would undergo a medical examination and after speaking to her grandmother who was the person she was comfortable confiding in. She also said that her fear centred on the possibility that the defendant might return and hurt her.

In re-examination, she maintained there was nothing romantic between her and the boy, describing their time together as watching television and talking about school before he left.

The complainant's aunt, with whom she lived, also testified. She told the court that after the incident, the defendant called her directly, telling her the complainant was trying to frame him for r**e and denying any wrongdoing. She said he later sent voice notes asking her to accompany him to the police station to clear his name. Under cross-examination, she denied ever being told beforehand that a boy had visited the home, and denied disciplining her niece frequently or that the teen feared her.

Responding to a jury question, the aunt explained that the defendant had obtained her phone number after once misplacing his own phone and using hers to call himself.

A third witness, the complainant's step-aunt, testified that she was contacted after the incident and found the complainant visibly upset. She said she took the teen to the police station, after which she was examined at a clinic and later stayed with her for a period. Under cross-examination, she confirmed she was present when the complainant's police statement was taken and signed as a witness, and that she was later shown the statement, in which the complainant had told police the defendant left after realising she was menstruating.

16/07/2026

Popular entertainer Harrison Horsford, known widely as Jesse Fyah, has been sentenced to pay compensation and a fine for indecent assault and serious indecency.

Today, about two months after being found guilty of the offences and waiting to be sentenced from behind bars, he was ordered to pay the victim $5,000 in compensation and a $3,000 fine to the court. However, the prosecution intends to appeal the sentence. The maximum sentence for the offences is five years.

In October 27, 2020, the complainant, a young woman in her early twenties who had known Horsford for years and previously shared a casual relationship with him, accepted a ride in his vehicle.

The court heard that what began as a straightforward offer of transportation quickly became something else. Horsford first stopped at his workplace before driving, without explanation, in the direction of Bolans. When the complainant questioned where he was going, he told her he needed to meet a man at Darkwood about a billboard, and she agreed to accompany him.

When they arrived at Darkwood, Horsford got out of the vehicle and looked around. There was no man and no billboard meeting. He returned to the car and began making unwanted advances, kissing the complainant without her consent as she fought him off. When she resisted, he grabbed her by the throat. He exposed and touched her breasts without her consent and forcibly touched her private area, telling her she belonged to him. The complainant continued to resist and demanded to be taken home.
Instead, Horsford told her to get out and walk.

Alone on the roadside, the complainant flagged down a passing vehicle. The driver who stopped later gave evidence in court, telling the jury the complainant was in tears, visibly distressed, and clutching her clothing as she got into the car. She was taken directly to the Johnson Point Police Station.

Horsford gave an unsworn statement, meaning he could not be cross-examined, in which he offered a different account. He said he had seen the complainant standing in the rain and felt compelled to help her, and that the two had a friendly conversation during which he offered to assist her in finding a job and asked her to send him a resume. He claimed the complainant then asked him for $3,000, which he declined, before dropping her off, going to his office, and having no further contact with her that day. He told the court he first learned something was wrong that evening, when the complainant messaged him on Facebook accusing him of r**e, to which he said he responded by warning her not to spread rumours or he would have his lawyer write to her.

The jury did not believe him, returning guilty verdicts on both counts after deliberating for less than an hour.

Horsford, 33 at the time of the offences, was remanded into custody immediately after the verdict was delivered before Justice Ann Marie Smith in May.

In handing down sentence, the judge remarked that Horsford believed the complainant was promiscuous and that this was why he treated her the way he did, but stressed that women have the right to say no and that this must be respected.

George Lake represented Horsford throughout the proceedings, while Curtis Cornelius presented the Crown's case.

14/07/2026

A High Court judge has upheld a no-case submission in the murder trial of Dexter Scotland of Willikies, effectively ending the Crown's case against him in connection with the death of Jahfari Isaac, also of Willikies.

Justice Ann Marie Smith ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove that the killing was unlawful, after attorney Andrew O’Kola argued that Scotland acted in self-defence when he shot Isaac.
Isaac died at the hospital on June 13, 2023, days after he was shot during an incident at Willikies on June 4.

According to the defence submission, Scotland told police in his statement that Isaac had a gun and that he shot him three times after Isaac put his hand to his waist. Scotland said he was carrying an illegal firearm at the time and had approached Isaac.

The Crown had argued that no weapon was ever found on Isaac, and that the surrounding circumstances suggested the shooting was retaliatory, meaning it should be left to a jury to decide whether Scotland's account was credible. Prosecutors further contended that even if Isaac did put his hand to his waist, it may have been Isaac who was acting in self-defence, given that Scotland was the one who approached him while armed.

But Justice Smith agreed with the defence, finding that self-defence had been sufficiently raised on the evidence and that the Crown had closed its case without evidence capable of disproving it.
In its submission, the defence argued that the Crown had proven only that a shooting took place, not the circumstances surrounding it. The defence noted that the Crown's own opening had acknowledged an earlier confrontation between the two men, during which Isaac struck Scotland and knocked him unconscious.

The defence further pointed to gaps in the forensic evidence. A presumptive gunshot residue test on the deceased's hands had come back positive, but no laboratory analysis was ever presented to confirm or explain that result. The defence also said that the Crown closed its case without any ballistics evidence (no firearm was recovered from either man), and no examiner was called to link the shell casings found at the scene, a bullet recovered at the hospital, or a fragment from the post-mortem to any weapon.

The prosecution has given notice of its intention to appeal the ruling.

Photo: (From left to right) Deceased Jahfari Isaac, Murder accused Dexter Scotland.

10/07/2026

A man in his late 20’s has been sentenced to six years in prison after admitting to ra**ng a 12-year-old girl he threatened to expose with an inappropriate video.

Sole Spencer pleaded guilty on the 26th of June to two counts of serious indecency and one count of s*xual in*******se with a female under the age of 14.

The court heard that in 2024, Spencer came into possession of an inappropriate video of the complainant and began contacting her with s*xual demands, pressuring her to meet him for s*xual purposes. He threatened to release the video unless she complied, despite the complainant telling him she was a child.

Fearing it would be circulated, the complainant agreed to meet him and followed him to an abandoned house, where he performed oral s*x on her, directed her to perform oral s*x on him, and had unprotected s*xual in*******se with her.

The offence came to light a few days later, when the complainant's family learned the video was in circulation. She disclosed what had happened, and the following day she and her mother attended the Special Victims Unit, where she gave a statement.

This is not Spencer's first conviction for offences of this nature. In April, he was sentenced to 38 months in prison after being found guilty of ra**ng a 13-year-old girl he had befriended on social media, in a separate matter involving offences committed in 2022.

09/07/2026

All three charges against a man on trial for the shooting death of a Syrian national have been dismissed after the presiding judge upheld a no case submission by the defence.

Jahciba Shoy had been on trial before Justice John Spencer and a jury of six women and five men in connection with the death of Rhoudi Shmaly at the Pick 'n Mix Mart on Desouza Road. He faced charges of murder, manslaughter and aggravated robbery.

After the prosecution closed its case, defence attorney Wendel Alexander made a no case submission, arguing that the evidence presented was too weak to be left to the jury and that it would be dangerous to do so — amounting to nothing more than suspicion and speculation. Justice Spencer agreed and exercised his discretion to withdraw the case from the jury, dismissing all three charges.

The surveillance footage obtained from surrounding businesses reportedly showed only Shoy and the deceased walking together for several minutes — falling short of the standard required to put the case before a jury.

Despite the dismissal, Shoy has not yet been released. The Director of Public Prosecutions has stated his intention to appeal the ruling, and Shoy remains in custody. His attorney however has the option to make an application for bail in the interim.

A juvenile had previously served time in connection with the same murder.

08/07/2026

A Vincentian man who was stopped at the airport attempting to leave the country following a collision that left national cyclist Tahje Browne hospitalized has since been fined $8,000 after pleading guilty to four charges.

Kishroy Harry, 24, was intercepted at V.C. Bird International Airport on June 21st as he attempted to board a flight to St Vincent, just one day after a Toyota Vitz motorcar he was driving struck Browne on Sir Sydney Walling Highway in the vicinity of the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board.

Harry pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without the owner's consent, driving without a valid driver's licence, and driving without insurance coverage before Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel.

Video footage of the June 20th collision was widely circulated on social media where Harry was seen fleeing the scene, leaving the cyclist injured on the side of the road; conduct the court described as an aggravating breach of the duty every road user owes.

Browne subsequently underwent surgery and appeared before the court on July 2nd in a wheelchair, where he spoke about the pain and suffering he has endured since the accident. Browne recently graduated and had to do so in a wheelchair.

Magistrate Emanuel imposed a fine of $2,000 on each of the 4 counts which he has to pay within 5 months or 2 months imprisonment in default. Harry received a one-third discount for his guilty plea, and the 12 days he spent on remand between June 24th and July 5th were deducted from his sentence.

In mitigation, the court noted Harry's young age, previous good character and remorse. Against that, the court weighed the seriousness of Browne's injuries and Harry's decision to flee the scene and attempt to leave the jurisdiction.

The victim was not awarded compensation as damages for his injuries can be more appropriately pursued in the High Court.

Photo: National Cyclist Tahje Browne

06/07/2026

A former athlete has been found guilty of two counts of serious indecency committed against his young daughter, with sentencing set for July 24th.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, was tried before Justice Ann Marie Smith in the High Court. The jury found him guilty of inserting his finger into the child's privates and placing his ge****ls against her buttocks on separate occasions. He was not found guilty on the third count of indecent assault.

The charges related to incidents alleged to have occurred between April 2022 and April 2023, when the complainant was living with her father. Prosecutors alleged the abuse began sometime after her eighth birthday.

Taking the stand during the trial, the child told the court that on occasions when her father's girlfriend was not at home, he would invite her into his bed, instruct her to remove her clothing, and subject her to the acts. She said that when he later sought to bring her back after sending her to live with her grandmother, she cried and resisted — telling the court she did not want him to repeat what he had done to her.

The child's grandmother also gave evidence, recounting that the complainant had once been found hiding in a closet in distress when the accused came to collect her, saying the following day was his birthday and he wanted to spend time with her.

Both the child and her grandmother rejected suggestions under cross-examination by defence attorney Wendel Alexander that the allegations had been fabricated.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 24th before Justice Ann Marie Smith.

Wadadli Case Files

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