7 News Belize

Kenrick’s Day In Court
posted (January 14, 2020)
And while Tuyul and his boys try to find some stability in the whirlwind of madness that has overtaken their lives, tonight the man accused of beating his boys and killing one of them is in jail on remand.

Kenrick Longsworth was taken to court this morning - and 7News was there for what turned out to be quite a scene. Here's the story:

Cherisse Halsall reporting
Kenrick Longsworth arrived at the courthouse just after 9:00 in the prison van - briefly surveyed his surroundings - and then was grabbed around the arm by the police court orderly. Longsworth bristled at this - telling the police officer he could walk on his own, and indicated that he was in no rush because he wanted the media to take his picture.

A few interested onlookers waited outside the courthouse to see Longsworth, while his mother Lavern stood on the court verandah.

When he next came out it was with a no nonsense GSU escort, who rushed him off the verandah - as hecklers in the street threw words at him. So what made the GSU appear?

Well, Longsworth was being unruly in the courthouse cell block - and reportedly even tried to bite one of the police officers. SO, the GSU was called in to make sure it was a no nonsense arraignment.

His mother then had to walk through the hecklers who also threw ample insults at her.

While he was being arraigned inside - and the magistrate cautioned him about his behaviour, the heckling continued outside.

And when he was rushed out of court into the waiting GSU van in their paramilitary style, the gaggle of onlookers could still be heard, making their displeasure known as the van sped off.

But while the mob may want him, the commissioner says police have to exercise all restraint to make sure no harm comes to him:

Chester Williams
"The primary thing was always focus on is to ensure that we deal with suspects in a manner that will not hinder a successful prosecution and we find that whenever we deal with persons and we abuse them, this is used later on in trial and then then person is walked, confessions not admitted and these sorts of things. Again, during the initial stage of these interviews and these sort of things, CIB ensured again that we follow everything to a T, because we want that if or when we go to trial, that we will be able to cross our T's and dot our I's to be able to get a conviction."

And while that was the scene at court, here's the details of what happened inside the courtroom.

27-year-old Kenrick Longsworth was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer on 1 count of murder, and 2 counts of grievous harm. The murder charge is for the death of the 3-year-old, who he allegedly brutalized, and the grievous harm charges are for the injuries he inflicted on the toddler's 2 siblings.

He told the Chief Magistrate that he was unemployed and that he stayed at home to take care of the children, while his girlfriend went to work. After taking all his personal information, the Chief Magistrate informed him that he would not be eligible for bail, and no plea would be taken from him at this time.

She also warned him about behaving unruly while in the court's holding cell. As you just saw, reports from the police were that he was behaving aggressively toward the officers while he was in their custody. He told the Chief Magistrate that the officers were attempting to make his stay at the court as unpleasant as possible, and he was simply making a stand against it. That's when the Chief Magistrate then warned him that police have a right to use force to restrain him, and so, it is in his best interest not to invite harm on himself by aggressing them.

She has remanded him to the Belize Central Prison until March 12th, 2020.

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