Local News

20-year-old Henry Cornejo was acquitted of murder today in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas.  Cornejo was charged with the murder of Gilbert Olivera.  The case for the prosecution fell apart when the only eye witness, Eustace Lewis, could not be located and his statement was not admitted as evidence after a voire dire was held to determine its admissibility.  Cornejo’s attorney, Anthony Sylvester submitted that there was no evidence against his client.  Justice Lucas upheld the submission and directed the jury of seven women and five men to return a formal verdict of not guilty.  Olivera, a resident of Dean Street was shot to death around 9 p.m. on May 27, 2009 at the corner of Plues Street and Prince Street.  He was walking on his way home when his assailant who apparently waited in ambush under a house, ran up behind him and blasted him in his back with a sawed off shotgun.  Olivera died on the spot. A voire dire was also held to determine the admissibility of an oral confession that Cornejo had allegedly given to a police sergeant. The oral confession was not admitted as evidence because Justice Lucas ruled that it was obtained under pressure.  The prosecution was represented by Crown Counsel Stevanni Duncan.