A plea agreement which would have been struck on behalf of Leon Hines, the alleged driver of the getaway car in the murder of 51-year-old Andrea Lowe-Garwood at a church on Market Street in Trelawny on January 31, might no longer be on the table.

This is due to new developments which came to light on Thursday this week.

The 23-year-old storekeeper of a Montego Bay address, who had been nabbed in Kingston hours after the murder, was yesterday brought before the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston on a Voluntary Bill of Indictment where it was expected that the details of the agreement would have been placed before the court. Hines is being represented by attorney Michael Hemmings.

However, based on information contained in a new statement supplied on Thursday by an individual who was not on the radar of the cops, Hines’ position as a cooperating witness and possible star informant is now in jeopardy.

“We have elected to take Mr Hines here because we are in an advanced state of discussions with my learned friend, Mr Hemmings. It is expected that those discussions will bring forth some great fruit. In fact, where the Crown is concerned, we had expected to come to a decision. Certain documents would have been presented (plea agreement)…however, the investigating officer provided us with an additional statement yesterday and, based on the contents of that new statement, we will have to revisit what we thought we had and we will have to revisit the contents of the particular document where [Hines] told us certain things,” a representative of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions appearing before Justice Lorna Shelly Williams said.

“I have had preliminary discussions with my friend [Hemmings]. We are hoping that he will take that document to his client and let’s hope that his client will be a little more forthcoming, based on the new information that we have. The more information that comes in, the more likely we will have to change our position. In light of what we got yesterday, we are in a better position than we were before yesterday,” the prosecutor said.

Yesterday, Hines’ attorney indicated to the court that he would require about a week to go through the relevant documents and have further discussions with his client.

Under the Criminal Justice (Plea Negotiations and Agreement) Act, accused individuals can profit from reduction in their sentences from a high of 50 per cent to a low of 15 per cent, depending on the point at which they decide to enter a guilty plea.

Hines, who was nabbed along with 29-year-old Javan Garwood, the victim’s stepson who is otherwise called Janoy, and Dwight Bingham, has been charged with murder, illegal possession of firearm, accessory before the fact, accessory after the fact, conspiracy to murder and misprision of a felon.

The matter will next be heard on February 18. Hines was yesterday ordered remanded.

The other two individuals charged with Hines will appear before the court in Trelawny next Monday.

Lowe-Garwood, a National Commercial Bank employee, was in a worship session at her church when a man who had been posing as a member of the congregation shot her several times in the upper body. She was taken to hospital where she died whilst undergoing treatment. The police said an investigation revealed that Hines had previously conspired with Garwood and Bingham to kill Lowe-Garwood, supposedly because of a family dispute arising from the death of her husband last July.