A bail application for former Western St Mary Member of Parliament (MP), Jolyan Silvera, who is charged with the murder of his wife, Melissa, last November, has been pushed back to May 2.
This was after certain documents in the case were not presented to Silvera’s defence team, which is being led by attorney Peter Champagnie.
The People’s National Party (PNP) politician made his third court appearance on Thursday in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston since being charged with murder, as well as a related gun offence.
The case remains closed to the media, due to the strictures imposed on the coverage of such matters by the Gun Court Act.
Following court proceedings, Champagnie gave reporters a brief update on what led to the delay of the bail hearing.
“There are some additional documents that are outstanding that will be pertinent to the application, and so, the matter is fixed for the 2nd of May when it will be heard in terms of an application for bail,” said Champagnie.
The attorney added that the court has ordered that those documents should be furnished to the defence before the next court date.
Champagnie said Silvera is maintaining his innocence in relation to matter, and is eager to have the matter move forward.
“Under the circumstances, he (Silvera) is, as one would expect, very concerned, very apprehensive, very anxious.
“His (Silvera’s) position is consistent in terms of his honesty and his innocence, but, under the circumstances, he appreciates the position and why it (the case) was adjourned until the next date,” said Champagnie.
Melissa Silvera was found dead in bed at the couple’s Stony Hill, St Andrew home on November 10 last year, and it was then suggested that she died in her sleep.
But a month later, a post-mortem report revealed that at least three bullet fragments were found in her body.
Since then the police have treated their probe of the death as a homicide case, which led to Jolyan Silvera being arrested and later charged with murder and at least one other criminal offence relative to the alleged use of a firearm to commit a felony.
