By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Belize City senior citizen who initially pleaded guilty to possession of an undetermined amount of crack cocaine had his plea rejected after he told the court that police never found anything in his possession.
Horace Rhaburn, 65, of Gordon Street, Belize City, appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, June 25, 2026, charged with possession of an undetermined amount of crack cocaine.
Police allege that earlier that day, while on Euphrates Avenue, Rhaburn was found in possession of the suspected controlled drug.
At arraignment, Rhaburn, who was unrepresented, initially pleaded guilty. However, after the facts were read to him, he told the court, “They never found anything in my possession, but I still plead guilty.”
Senior Magistrate Mannon Dennison then explained that, based on Rhaburn’s statement, the court could not accept his guilty plea because he was not agreeing with the facts and had raised a defence. An equivocal plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.
Rhaburn was offered bail in the sum of $500 plus one surety of the same amount. He told the court that he had no one to bail him and did not want to keep going back and forth to court.
The Senior Magistrate explained that a guilty plea cannot be entered simply for convenience. Rhaburn was also informed that an old outstanding fine of $155 must be paid before he can post bail.
Rhaburn is due back in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on August 27, 2026.
The post Senior citizen denied guilty plea after disputing crack cocaine charge appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Belize City senior citizen who initially pleaded guilty to possession of an undetermined amount of crack cocaine had his plea rejected after he told the court that police never found anything in his possession. Horace Rhaburn, 65, of Gordon Street, Belize City, appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court
The post Senior citizen denied guilty plea after disputing crack cocaine charge appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
