A Linden man who was incarcerated since 2007 facing a murder charge ran out of the Christianburg Magistrate’s Court after being freed by Magistrate Ann McLennan on Wednesday.
Devon Beckles aka ‘Bolo’, 28, of 30 John Alley Wismar, Linden was accused of murdering Winston Missigher on February 21, 2007. He was charged and remanded to prison in September 2007.
The law stood in his favour on Wednesday when Magistrate McLennan told the court that it was not fair for her to have the man further incarcerated because the prosecution was failing to do its job.
She said that since the preliminary inquiry commenced on November 26, 2007 and up to Wednesday the police prosecution had failed to present any witness to the court. This resulted in the case against Beckles being discharged for want of prosecution.
When the discharge was read Beckles immediately joyfully ran out of the courtroom. Not realizing what had transpired the police guard attempted to stop the man thinking that he was attempting to escape custody.