Court dismisses murder charge from Shawn Hertular after prosecution no-shows

By Aaron Humes: According to Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, her office will determine how to move forward with the matter of 41-year-old Shawn Steven Hertular, whose charge of murder was dismissed last Thursday when the assigned Crown Counsel from her office did not show up in court.

“That will be dealt with…there was a counsel who should have appeared to conduct that trial [on Thursday] and that counsel did not appear,” the Director told reporters separately on Friday. Asked who was at fault, she appeared to deflect the question, stating that when she has matters assigned to her before the court, she shows up.

So Hertular, arraigned in November of 2021 for the murder of Miguel Zaiden, remains a free man only for the moment.

High Court Justice Derick Sylvester was assigned to hear the case, while Hertular was represented by defense counsel Andrew Bennett.

Bennett motioned the court for dismissal, stating that his client should not have to spend another second behind bars. The judge agreed, noting that counsel should have been in court before 9 a.m. which is the traditional start of the court day when all matters are called up for hearing and disposed of.

Zaiden was found dead on the night of November 21, 2021, in front of Heidi’s Shop on Racecourse Street, Belize City, next to a motorbike believed to be his, with stab wounds to the head and body.

According to the Police’s initial investigation, Zaiden was socializing with other persons on Racecourse Street when he was approached by a man and an argument ensued. The suspect then inflicted the stab wounds and left the scene. Zaiden attempted to leave the scene on his motorbike but fell to the ground.

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