By Breaking Belize News Staff: Two Belize City sisters facing an arson charge narrowly escaped being sent to jail late Friday evening after arriving almost an hour late to their High Court hearing.
22-year-old Janiece Shanice Augustine, a call center agent, and her older sister, 26-year-old hair braider Janiene Justine Augustine, both of Jane Usher Boulevard, were scheduled to appear before Justice Nigel Pilgrim at 1:00 p.m. However, they arrived to court 50 minutes late, prompting the court to issue a bench warrant for their arrest.
The sisters were immediately detained, handcuffed, and placed in a holding cell for over an hour before being brought into the courtroom at around 2:12 p.m., where the judge demanded they explain why they should not be remanded for disobeying a court order.
Janiece told the court she had to “thief chance” to leave work and attend the hearing, while Janiene claimed she mistakenly believed the case was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Justice Pilgrim was not persuaded, reminding them that arson is a life-sentence offense and that court orders are not optional.
The judge told the sisters he was prepared to revoke their bail and send them to prison for the weekend, warning that had the warrant been executed before they arrived, they would have been remanded until Tuesday. However, in what he called the “spirit of Christmas”, he showed leniency and allowed them to continue on their lower court bail.
The Augustines were first charged on April 12, 2024 for allegedly setting fire to a $30,000 wooden structure and $2,000 in household items in Crooked Tree Village on July 16, 2022. They were later committed to stand trial in the High Court in October 2024 and currently remain unrepresented.
Justice Pilgrim ended the session by informing the sisters that an attorney will be appointed to assist them and ordered them to return to court on Friday, December 12, 2025.
The post Judge feeling Christmas spirit decides not to revoke bail for sisters accused of arson who showed up an hour late to court appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Two Belize City sisters facing an arson charge narrowly escaped being sent to jail late Friday evening after arriving almost an hour late to their High Court hearing. 22-year-old Janiece Shanice Augustine, a call center agent, and her older sister, 26-year-old hair braider Janiene Justine Augustine, both of Jane Usher
The post Judge feeling Christmas spirit decides not to revoke bail for sisters accused of arson who showed up an hour late to court appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
