Two of the three men accused of the murder of 51-year-old Andrea Lowe-Garwood at a church on Market Street, Falmouth in Trelawny on January 31, were remanded when they appeared in the Trelawny Parish Court yesterday.
The two — the slain woman’s stepson, 29-year-old Javan Garwood, alias Janoy, and Dwight Bingham — were remanded by Parish Court Judge Stanley Clarke until Tuesday, March 2, when they are scheduled to return to court.
The other accused, 23-year-old Leon Hines, a storekeeper of Rose Heights, Montego Bay in St James, was not in court yesterday. He was last week brought before the Home Circuit Court in Kingston on a voluntary bill of indictment, where it was expected that the details of a plea bargain would have been placed before the court. Hines is being represented by attorney Michael Hemmings.
Martyn Thomas, who along with Suwayne Phillips represented Garwod and Bingham in court, expressed concern that Hines was not in court yesterday.
“I don’t know what he [Hines] is saying, I don’t know what has been said. I know that no agreement has been entered into. I notice, though, that he was absent from today’s (yesterday’s) proceedings, which is quite worrying. But as it relates to our defence, we are confident that at the end of the day the accused will have a viable defence which will be placed before the court when necessary,” Thomas said.
Martin revealed that he intends to apply for bail for his clients when they next return to court.
He said, too, that after the March 2 court appearance it is expected that the matter will be transferred to the Trelawny Circuit Court.
The police said Hines has been charged with murder, illegal possession of firearm, accessory before the fact, accessory after the fact, and conspiracy to murder. Garwood has been charged with murder and conspiracy to murder, while Bingham has been charged with murder and illegal possession of firearm.
Lowe-Garwood was in a worship session at her church when a man posing as a member of the congregation shot her several times in the upper body.
She was taken to hospital where she died while undergoing treatment.
Yesterday, one of the accused was dressed in a T-shirt with the words ‘You are looking at a legend’ on the front. Both defendants were decked in the popular Clark’s brand of shoe.