By Breaking Belize News Staff: An arraignment at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court was again derailed on Friday after Harold Palma, a 37-year-old man described as an alleged mental patient, could not be read his charge nor enter a plea due to his behavior in court.
Palma, who told the court he is Honduran and has lived in Belize since age 11, was brought before Court #3 around 10 a.m. While he was able to state his name, age, and nationality, proceedings quickly became chaotic. Palma repeatedly spoke over the sitting Magistrate, shouted profanities, and made incoherent statements, including claims that he smokes crack cocaine, engages in gang activity, and wanted to be sent “back to jail,” which he referred to as “home.”
When questioned about his address, Palma said he lived “by the jungle,” and added that he had no family or anyone to care for him. His conduct prompted the Magistrate to halt the arraignment and order that he be remanded to the Belize Central Prison pending a psychiatric evaluation. As a result, no plea was taken and the charge could not be formally read.
The court explained that Palma is alleged to have committed aggravated assault upon a female police officer. According to the allegation, he assaulted a police officer with a deadly instrument, to wit, a knife.
Police facts allege that around 4:00 p.m. on the day of the incident, a police officer observed a shirtless man wielding a blade and pushing it into the faces of people at a bus stop. When she approached him, he allegedly pulled the knife on her, threatened to kill bystanders, and became aggressive and disorderly. Police say the officer was forced to use her government-issued firearm to disarm him before he was taken into custody and later charged.
Palma is scheduled to return to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on March 23, 2026, pending the outcome of his psychiatric evaluation.
The case comes amid a growing number of similar incidents. Earlier this week, two other men—Kareem Anderson, 27, and Richard Cherrington—also appeared before the court but could not be arraigned, as pleas could not be taken. In both matters, the Chief Magistrate ordered that the men be remanded to the Belize Central Prison pending psychiatric evaluations.
The post Alleged mental patient charged for wielding knife and threatening to kill bystanders tells court he smokes crack, gang-bangs and just wants to go ‘home’ to jail appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: An arraignment at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court was again derailed on Friday after Harold Palma, a 37-year-old man described as an alleged mental patient, could not be read his charge nor enter a plea due to his behavior in court. Palma, who told the court he is Honduran and
The post Alleged mental patient charged for wielding knife and threatening to kill bystanders tells court he smokes crack, gang-bangs and just wants to go ‘home’ to jail appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.