WESTERN BUREAU – Murders and sex crimes will dominate the Easter session of the St James Circuit Court which opened in Montego Bay on Wednesday.

There are 23 cases to be dealt with by the court over the next three weeks and of that number, 10 are murder matters, while nine are sexual offences. In addition, there are three cases of wounding with intent and one of causing death by dangerous driving.

All cases are to be presided over by Justice Carol Beswick.

Clarence Williams, who has been accused of murdering his Caucasian wife, Eleanor, is among those to go before the court on April 26. The 36 year-old is alleged to have slashed his 49 year-old wife’s throat. Her body was discovered at their home at Barrett Hall in St James on March 3 – a week after they had moved into the house.

Williams told the police that he was innocent of the crime, saying that he had left for Kingston earlier in the day to visit his son. He claimed to have returned home at about 12:25 am the following day to find the door of his garage open and his wife dead on the sofa.

But according to the police, Williams contacted them an hour after he claimed to have discovered the body. On arrival, they said, he informed them that his wife’s wedding band and a sum of money were missing. However, the wedding band was later found inside a jewellery box in the home, while JA$30,000 and US$37 were discovered in a Mark II motor car that the couple owned. In addition, checks revealed that Williams’ son, whom he said he had gone to Kingston to visit, had not seen his father that day.

Also on the docket for the Easter session is the case of James Dodd, who is charged with the rape of his common-law wife’s 17 year-old sister.

Dodd, 31, and another man known only as “Reds” are alleged to have sexually assaulted the girl on the night of March 29 last year. The incident took place inside Mocho in St James. Dodd, the police have said, lifted the teenager from the bed on which she was sleeping, and took her to Reds’ home next door where they both took turns molesting her. The teen later reported the matter to the Spring Mount police and Dodd was arrested and charged, while Reds fled the community. Dodd is to stand trial on March 20.