Case against Irwin High schoolboy charged with murder of schoolmate dismissed

The St James Family Court today threw out the case against the 14-year-old male student of Irwin High School charged for the death of his 15-year-old schoolmate Raniel Plummer.

Attorney-at-law Maurice McCurdy, who represented the young defendant, told The STAR that the decision to dismiss the matter was handed down when the teenager appeared in court earlier today.

“Today was the date for the decision of the committal hearing. The two charges against him were thrown out as both the murder charge and the possession of an offensive weapon charge were dismissed against him,” McCurdy outlined.

The charges stemmed from an incident on April 18 in which Plummer was reportedly attacked by a group of students after exiting the grounds of Irwin High School.

According to police reports, during the assault Plummer was stabbed in the chest by the 14-year-old male student and was transported to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he died while being treated.

It was alleged that the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation.

McCurdy said that notwithstanding the court’s decision today, the defence sympathises with Plummer’s family.

“Though the defence is pleased that the court found favour with our submissions in law, there is nothing to celebrate about this case. A loss of a child is a major blow to any nation. It has never been lost on us that a family is grieving,” said McCurdy.

“The courts, however, do not sit in a vacuum and must take the fulsomeness of the law and the facts into account to discharge its duty. Sometimes, however, the suspect is the victim and the deceased is the author of his own demise,” McCurdy continued.

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