Man dies after being hit with stone

Oppley Ebanks, the St James man who reportedly used a stone to beat another man to death during a confrontation on January 14, is booked to stand trial in the St James Circuit Court on September 17.

Ebanks, who is charged with the murder of 40-year-old labourer Santino Plummer, got the new court date during his committal hearing in the St James Parish Court on Monday. The committal hearing was held to determine whether his case would be transferred to the Circuit Court for trial. Presiding Parish Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton made a fresh offer of bail to Ebanks in the sum of $600,000 with two sureties, mirroring the bail offer he was last given on April 18.

As part of his bail conditions, Ebanks was ordered to report to the police three days a week, and he was also given a curfew order restricting him to be at home every night between the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

According to the allegations, on January 14 at about 11:30 p.m., Plummer - who was of a Lilliput address - went to a football field to conduct a business transaction. While there, an argument reportedly developed between him and a woman; Ebanks intervened. The confrontation between the two men turned physical, during which Ebanks allegedly used a stone to strike Plummer. The police were summoned, and on their arrival, Plummer was seen lying face down in blood with a wound to the head. Ebanks, who was seen running from the scene, was chased and held by the lawmen. He was taken into custody and formally charged after an interview session.

During a previous bail hearing on February 21, his attorney Jermaine Campbell had argued that Ebanks was defending himself and the woman from Plummer, and that Ebanks was taken into custody while he and the woman were on their way to the police. Campbell later indicated on April 18 that the woman was Ebanks' girlfriend.