by Roy Davis (freelance writer)
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Mar. 13, 2024
In a lengthy judgement she read in court today, Justice Candace Nanton stated that Keyren Tzib, 33, was guilty of the attempted murder of Kurt Hyde, her fellow member of the Belize Coast Guard, whom she shot to the back of his head with an M 40 carbine.
Tzib’s bail of $10,000 was rescinded and she was granted a new bail of $15,000 plus 3 sureties with some stringent conditions. She is to surrender all of her travel documents; she is not to leave the jurisdiction; she must report to Orange Walk Police Station 3 times every week until she is sentenced; she is to report to the High Court in Belize City once each week; she is to make an appointment to see the psychiatrist, Dr. Alejandro Matus within 7 days; she is to make an appointment with the Department of Human Services within 7 days; and if she is arrested and charged with any offence, she is to be brought immediately before a Justice of the High Court. If she breaches any of these conditions, her bail will be revoked.
Justice Nanton adjourned the case for sentencing until April 26. She indicated that the sentence may or may not be custodial.
The incident occurred on the morning of April 6, 2015.
Evidence adduced by the Crown, represented by Crown Counsel Glenfield Dennison, showed that Hyde was the captain of a Coast Guard vessel that was returning to Belize City from San Pedro with several passengers on board, Tzib among them. When the vessel was about 100 yards from the Coast Guard base, located at Mile 4 on the George Price Highway, a loud bang was heard, and Hyde, who was behind the steering wheel, fell to the floor of the vessel. He had been shot from behind. The bullet went through the back of his head and exited through the left side of his face. Two witnesses who were on board the vessel testified that they saw when Tzib raised the rifle to her shoulder and pulled the trigger. One of them managed to disarm Tzib, and she expressed her concern about Hyde who had lost consciousness for a short while and was reaching for his firearm when he regained consciousness. Dr Louis Hernandez, who treated Hyde, testified that his injury was life threatening.
The statements of Tyrone Young, who passed away before he could testify, were admitted into evidence. He said in the two statements he gave, that he saw Tzib stand up and raise the rifle and fire the shot.
The defence, represented by attorney Darrell Bradley, made a submission that it was an abuse of process that the trial had taken so long to commence, and that the case should be dismissed on that basis. But that submission was overruled by Justice Nanton. She also overruled a submission made by the defence that the accused did not have a case to answer.
Tzib gave a statement from the dock in which she claimed that the rifle was fired accidentally, and she didn’t mean to harm Hyde. But Justice Nanton rejected her dock statement.
The defence made a submission that Tzib suffered from delusion, and that it was a case of diminished responsibility. But Justice Nanton said that was not a defence for attempted murder.
The defence called two witnesses, Crystal Humes, a clinical psychologist, and Ingrid Bennett, a nurse. They both testified that Tzib suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and that she was delusional at times. But Justice Nanton ruled that at time of the incident Tzib knew exactly what she was doing.
Behind the backdrop of it all is an allegation of rape that is said to have occurred before 2011.
