NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Court of Appeal has criticized prosecutors for charging two Grand Bahama men with causing grievous harm rather than attempted murder following a near-fatal attack.
The judges said the decision to prosecute Denneyco Rolle and Diallo Remy in the Magistrate’s Court gave them an unwarranted sentencing advantage, a point acknowledged by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The criticism came as the court dismissed appeals by both men, who argued their four-year prison sentences were too harsh and sought reductions.
The case stems from a June 2025 attack on Zhivargo Ferguson near Rachel’s Britannia Mini Mall in Freeport.
Ferguson and a friend were walking through an alleyway when they encountered the men.
The court heard that one attacker threatened, “I ga kill one of yall right now,” before an assault with bottles and rocks.
Rolle struck Ferguson in the face with a bottle, knocking him unconscious, then repeatedly stabbed and hacked him in the neck and back as he lay helpless.
Remy chased Ferguson’s friend and participated in the assault.
Ferguson suffered a traumatic brain injury, serious neck wounds and lasting vision problems.
The judges said the evidence supported an attempted murder charge, which carries a maximum life sentence, compared with seven years for grievous harm.
They upheld both four-year sentences, ruling they were neither excessive nor unduly severe.
