Alleged murderer to stand trial

Alanzo Vincent, who allegedly shot and killed a St James taxi operator while posing as a passenger is slated to stand trial in the St James Circuit Court, starting on April 22.

Vincent, who is of a Rose Heights address and who is being represented by attorney-at-law Jillian Haughton, is charged with the murder of Maurice Anthony McLaughlin. He was remanded following a brief committal hearing on Thursday.

According to reports, on September 1, 2023, McLaughlin, who was a resident of Copperwood in St James, was driving his grey 2013 Toyota Voxy motor car along the Cambridge main road when Vincent, who was a passenger in the vehicle, reportedly pulled a handgun and opened fire, hitting him in the head.

Following the shooting, Vincent reportedly pushed McLaughlin from the vehicle and drove off in the direction of Retrieve, in Cambridge. Residents later found McLaughlin suffering from a gunshot wound and assisted him to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

It was further reported that, sometime after the shooting, residents spotted McLaughlin's vehicle in the Roehampton area and alerted the police. At that point, Vincent drove off but crashed into a ditch.

Vincent then fled the scene on foot, leaving behind a .40 Ruger pistol with a magazine containing four .40 cartridges. He was subsequently apprehended. He was formally charged on September 6 with murder, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition, and using a firearm to commit a felony.

C.T.