Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Hewitt Johnson, the main suspect in the January 9 murder of St James taxi operator Jeffery Nam, was remanded when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday.

Johnson, 31, a chef from Pondside, Hanover, was remanded until March 15 when his bail application is expected to continue.

Allegations are that on January 9, Johnson was one of three passengers in Nam's Toyota Corolla taxi en route from Hopewell, Hanover to Montego Bay, St James. Along the way, the court heard, Johnson pulled a firearm and shot Nam in the side of the head. Nam later succumbed to his injuries at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay.

In making a bail application on Friday, Johnson's lawyer Anthony Williams, told Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small that his client was not the firearm holder, and that the defendant had cooperated with the police's investigations.

"What Mr Johnson is saying is that he was a passenger in the vehicle, and he did not know that one of the men had a firearm. He was coming from work and going about lawful business," said Williams. "He has never been wanted by the police, and he is not a person of bad character. He has shown from the outset that he will be and has been very cooperative. the police have no information of Mr. Johnson being wanted."

But clerk of the court Natalie Malcolm objected to Johnson being granted bail, expressing concern that he would not return for trial and that he would interfere with the ongoing investigations.

"My instructions are that after the incident, the accused fled the scene. the Crown has a concern as to whether he will return when he ought to. We would not want any interference from him in this investigation," said Malcolm.

RM Wong-Small subsequently ordered Johnson to be remanded until March 15, at which time the investigating officer is to complete the case file.

"Mr. Johnson, these matters will be mentioned before the court again on March 15; you are remanded until then," the magistrate the accused. "The officer is bound over to complete the file, and the bail application will continue on that day."