THE recently commissioned Children’s Court at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court is set to hear its first murder preliminary inquest in the case involving two fifteen-year-old boys who are accused of killing a 45-year-old drug addict.

The two teens were jointly charged with 19-year-old John McKenzie for the murder of a man identified as ‘Buck man’ who was stabbed at Leopold and Lombard Streets, Georgetown on November 17, 2018.

The police had reported that on November 17, about 22:45 hrs, “Buckman” and the three teens were involved in an argument after he stopped buying drugs from them.

One of the accused allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the man several times before making good his escape. After the stabbing, the 45-year-old man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had ordered that McKenzie be tried as an adult while the two 15-year-olds will be tried as juveniles at the Children’s Court.

McKenzie was remanded to prison, while the two teens were placed in custody at the juvenile holding centre.

The Preliminary Inquiry will be presided over by Magistrates Dylon Bess and Annette Singh at the Children’s Court in accordance with the rules and laws of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Both magistrates had received training in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States (US).