Justice Albert Redhead said he was “disturbed” by something he heard last Thursday morning: that the brother-in-law of Danny Benjamin, a Virgin Islands man found guilty of wounding charges last week, had threatened a witness and several jurors.
“I view this with the utmost seriousness,” the judge said during the closing of the assizes last Thursday. “It’s a disrespect to the administration of justice.”
The man alleged to have made the threats reportedly told jurors that he “knows their faces,” and that they should “watch their backs,” Mr. Redhead said.
Senior Crown Counsel Valston Graham said the matter is being addressed with urgency.
“We will not tolerate any attempt to pervert the course of justice,” Mr. Graham told the judge, adding that police had been informed of the incident and were investigating. “I’m sure they will do their duty.”
Mr. Benjamin was found guilty on two counts of wounding in relation to an incident at a West End bar in 2010. After a fight with several men, Mr. Benjamin went to his car and returned with a machete, according to court testimony. Two men, Christian Morello and Augustus Pond, sustained serious injuries in his subsequent attack.
Mr. Benjamin’s brother-in-law was also accused of approaching Mr. Pond and telling him to drop the complaints, according to the judge.
Shortly after the issue came up, Mr. Benjamin was sentenced to 10 years in prison.