Months after the suspect was charged with the murder of nine-year-old Shaquan Gittens, a psychiatric report on the man is still to be submitted to the court in order to move forward with the preliminary inquiry into the charge.
Gittens’ half naked and bound body was discovered several days after he was reported missing by his family after he failed to return home from a kite flying outing in his North Ruimveldt neighbourhood on April 1st. From all indications, he had been the victim of a sexual assault prior to his death.
Ryan Bobb-Semple, who has been described as being mentally unstable, was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder.
At his arraignment, then Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry had ordered a psychiatric report on the accused after his attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat had told the court that his client was not fit to stand trial.
However, the psychiatric report has not yet been presented to the court and the proceedings are yet to move forward as a result.
Having instructed the police prosecutor to summon psychiatrist Dr. Bhiro Harry to present his findings on Bobb-Semple on the last occasion, Magistrate Ann McLennan this week found herself granting the prosecution further time to have the report prepared.
Prosecutor Neville Jeffers had made an application for the matter to be adjourned for a date in September after citing a request made by Dr. Harry for more time to complete his evaluation of the accused.
Before adjourning the matter to September 3rd, Magistrate McLennan expressed her desire to have the report completed by then.
