ST JAMES, Jamaica — A father and son appeared in the St James Parish Court for the first time on Wednesday after being charged for the fatal shooting of a woman and the injury of her female relative at their home in Flower Hill, St James in March.
Charged with murder and wounding with intent are 57-year-old Wilford Cooke, otherwise called ‘Kong’, and his 21-year-old son Lavaughn Cooke, otherwise called ‘Jah Jah’, who also lives in Flower Hill district. They are being represented by attorney-at-law Henry McCurdy.
They are charged in connection with the killing of 36-year-old security guard Nastacia Smith on March 17.
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During a bail application on Wednesday, the court clerk objected to bail for the younger Cooke, claiming he was a flight risk because he could not be located after the murder.
At that point, McCurdy stated that his clients are innocent and are eager to clear their names. He also mentioned that the younger Cooke turned himself in to the police after being informed by his father that they were searching for him.
Furthermore, it was revealed in court that, instead of a formal identification parade, a confrontational parade was held on April 3, during which the elder Cooke was not identified by the witness.
However, when it came to the younger Cooke, presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton stated that he was not a stranger to the complainant, that she knew him before, and that she referred to him by his name in the statement.
In terms of the father, the judge noted that, despite not being identified in the confrontational parade, he remained in the area and voluntarily surrendered to the authorities when he was made aware of the allegations.
Nonetheless, Fairclough-Hylton stated that she was curious about how the preliminary report was drafted. She specifically highlighted the complainant’s mention of “Lavaughn Cooke and another man”. The judge noted that if the father was going to be charged, the report should have identified both Lavaughn Cooke, the son, and Wilford Cooke, the father. This raised questions as to why the father was not directly named in the report.
On that basis, the judge stated that she would like to have the investigation officer present because she has some questions.
The father and son were remanded in custody until Thursday when the bail hearing will continue.
According to the allegations, about 3:30 pm, Smith and her relative were inside their house with other family members when both men, armed with firearms, entered the yard and opened fire on them through a bedroom window before escaping in the area.
The police were alerted and on their arrival, Smith was seen lying on her back in blood with a gunshot wound to her chest.
She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead and the other woman treated and released.
Both Wilford and Lavaughn Cooke were arrested and subsequently charged.