Teen charged in Huntums Ghut shooting, denied bail
Nineteen-year-old, Deschon ‘Dede’ Hodge has been hauled before the Magistrate’s Court for the Huntums Ghut shooting incident which left a 16-year-old man nursing injuries at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital this month.
He was charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and unlawful and malicious wounding.
Hodge was not required to plead when he made his first appearance before Magistrate Christilyn Benjamin on Monday.
Allegations
The court heard that on December 10, the accused along with friends were at the Elmore Stoutt High School attending a function at about 8 am. During that same time, the complainant (the reported gunshot victim) was in Huntums Ghut spraying his motor scooter in a garage.
One of the friends of the accused teen reportedly got into a fight with some other young men, which resulted in the friend losing his hand chain.
It is alleged that after the fight, Hodge and one of his friends headed to the garage and aggressively confronted the complainant who is believed to be acquaintances with the men who attacked Hodge’s friend earlier that day.
Hodge allegedly pulled a firearm and threatened the complainant.
Shooting incident
At roughly 5 pm that same day, the complainant and his friends were travelling in the vicinity of a well-known bar in Huntums Ghut. The complainant was riding a scooter with another young man, while his two other friends were riding in a Jeep when they were attacked.
The accused gunman allegedly discharged his handgun causing one bullet to connect with the passenger side of the jeep, another connected with the scooter and another on the complainant’s leg.
The men sped off towards Road Town, while the accused gunman ran in the direction of the Huntums Ghut basketball court and departed on a scooter towards Lower Estate.
After inspecting the complainant’s wound, his friends took him to the hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his right thigh.
Investigation
The court heard that the Royal Virgin Police Force were made aware of the incident and launched an investigation into the matter.
They retrieved three spent shell casings at the crime scene and obtained closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the area of the incident.
The RVIPF also obtained a witness statement from the complainant at the hospital, and two days later, the accused turned himself into the Road Town Police Station. He was arrested on suspicion of the offences before the court.
A search warrant was also executed on Hodge’s residence where they retrieved and a short-sleeve white shirt and a long black jeans pants that were similar to eyewitness’s description of what the gunman was wearing at the time of the shooting.
It wasn’t me
The court heard that during an audiovisual interview with police, the accused man admitted to the incident that preceded the shooting. However, he said while he was in the area that the shooting took place and that he was not the shooter.
No Bail
After hearing arguments from both sides, Magistrate Benjamin denied the accused man bail.
The court said it denied bail because the accused, despite being a youthful offender, had previous run-ins with the law and he was in breach of a bail condition for another matter.
The possibility of potential interference such as ‘retaliation’ and the fact that the firearm was still at large was another reason behind the denial.
His matter was adjourned to January 16.
Attorney at law Stacy Abel represented Hodge.
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Have yourself a merry little Christmas in the slammer little boy. I will throw you some left over fruit cake and eggnog over the prison fence.LOL.
You want he drop some stinking f**t on the other inmates lol
Did he ask you for anything
Get these scumbags off the streets, they have no care for human life. All these gangs are creating a nightmare for honest citizens.
He look so happy to be in cuffs, guess he hear bout p****in
He happy cause he up in jail preserving his life cause he know he wasn’t goin see xmas day
Oh my goodness is it that bad?
yo mother
Ok ok but who are you lol just keep talking like you the one doing the do
gah remember who he going up there go meet
Lord Jesus please have mercy on our youths. Father God send help to teach them the right way of living. Destroy the evil thoughts in their minds and save their souls from the traps of the enemy in Jesus name. Amen.
God cant help them.them need to stop like in Sk.Since them stop them crap Sk..you can grow and burn like nothing..but if them start back..rss in them ras.
Ok, so let’s say he killed multiple people, then what? He would be happy that he killed people over a f***ing hand chain? What’s really wrong with these young a**holes out here? This is why the night establishments are struggling, decent people don’t want to be on the street among these f***ing this type of trash!
You are so right.I really don’t feel safe going out after dark.
That man had to grow seeing her father get disrespected on video by Jugo. That’s a loot of pressure to prove to man he ain’t soft like daddy. Woman slap pie.
“Feo Gomez” What the he** are you saying?
Your mother sucker call me also
Do they ever learn?
You imagine that was already in trouble for something else. No respect for the law. He will probably just get a slap on his wrist. I dont understand how these repeat offenders get on the streets so soon.
Tortola is too small to be complaining about gangs. come on police commissioner, you all have so many different departments existing in the service and yet still you can’t weed out these unwanted pests?