One of the latest victims of Barbados’ unnatural death, Michael Blackett, had a long rap sheet.
The 27-year-old from Flat Rock, St George faced multiple charges including three counts of murder.
The murder charges were read when he was 21 years old.
He appeared in District A Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, charged with Murder – Death of Charles Ellis. He was shot on 5 May 2015 in Nelson Street, St Michael; Murder – Death of Kemal Leacock. He was shot on August 14, 2015, in Bottom Close, Wildey, St Michael; and Murder – The shooting death of Ashem Telemaque. He was shot on August 4, 2015, in a bar in Forde’s Road, St Michael.
Blackett, 21, was also charged with two counts of wounding with intent – shooting and wounding a man at Parkinson Field, Pinelands, St Michael, on January 22, 2015; and The shooting and wounding of a man in Forde’s Road, St Michael, on 4 August 2015 (the same incident where Telemaque was shot).
Unemployed at the time, Blackett was not asked to plead to the five indicted cases and was remanded in custody until November 23, 2015, when he is expected to appear at Criminal Court No. 2 before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant.
Then, at the age of 26, he faced new charges.
Blackett was jointly charged with another man with the following offenses that occurred on July 16, 2020: Violent disorder and three counts of endangering life.
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He was also charged along with two men and a woman, for the arson offense that occurred on August 5, 2020.
He appeared at District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 29 August 2020. Appearing with his co-accused at ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Douglas Frederick, they were all remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison in Dodds, St. Philip. They were scheduled to reappear on September 25, 2020.
Blackett’s body was discovered on the Emancipation Day bank holiday, August 2, 2022, along with the body of 22-year-old Loris Malik Rasheed Gittens of Bottom Close, Wildey, St Michael. According to police, Gittens was known for acts of violence.
Editor’s note: Police are calling the deaths unnatural deaths* not murder or homicide until post-mortems are completed.
