By Breaking Belize News Staff: Twenty-six-year-old Michael Gladden, also known as “Wannie” or “Onie” has been found guilty of attempted murder following a High Court trial in which the victim testified against him via video link from the United States where she now lives after fleeing Belize.
The guilty verdict was handed down on Thursday by Justice Candace Nanton, who found the woman’s testimony credible and reliable and concluded that Gladden was one of the two men responsible for the violent attack.
Gladden has since been remanded to prison and will return to court on May 8, 2026, when the court will hear mitigation before sentencing. For the offense of attempted murder, he faces a possible sentence of up to life imprisonment.
Justice Nanton also ordered the preparation of several reports ahead of sentencing, including a Social Inquiry Report (SIR), a Victim Impact Statement, an Antecedent History report, and a prison report.
The case was prosecuted by Crown Counsel Joseph Perez of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Crown successfully applied for the woman to testify through video link, as she is currently living in the United States after being granted asylum due to fears for her safety.
Justice Nanton stated that she accepted the woman’s testimony as reliable and found that Gladden had been properly identified by the victim. The court also determined that the attack was carried out as part of a joint enterprise between Gladden and another gunman.
The judge further ruled that the evidence demonstrated clear intent to kill the woman.
During the woman’s testimony, she recounted the terrifying events of a Sunday evening in December 2020, when she was chased and shot at by two armed men.
She told the court that around 6:30 p.m., she left her home with her ex-common-law husband to visit a nearby shop. Along the way, they saw Gladden and another man standing under a tree.
According to the woman, her ex-partner remarked that the men appeared suspicious. As they walked back from the shop, the two men began following them and soon opened fire.
The woman testified that the other gunman initially fired at her ex-partner, who ran away after taking cover. Fearing for her life, she also ran.
While attempting to escape in the London Bridge area, the woman said her slippers broke, forcing her to jump off the bridge into a muddy, swampy area in an effort to hide.
She told the court that the gunmen pursued her and fired several shots in her direction. When they caught up with her in the swamp, Gladden allegedly opened fire at close range.
Believing she would be killed, the woman said she pretended to be dead, lying motionless in the muddy water. Convinced she had died, the men eventually left the area.
After they fled, a nearby resident helped her and contacted police, after which she was taken to the hospital for treatment.
During the trial, attorney Ian Gray, representing Gladden, argued that there was insufficient evidence of identification and no proof of a joint enterprise between the accused and the other gunman.
However, Crown Counsel Perez countered that the woman had known Gladden for about a year and a half before the incident and had seen him shortly before the shooting. The prosecution also argued that Gladden remained with the other gunman throughout the attack and was actively involved.
The court ultimately rejected the no-case submission, leading to the conviction announced today.
The post ‘The Law Never Sleeps’: Michael ‘Onie’ Gladden found guilty of woman’s attempted murder; May never see freedom again appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Twenty-six-year-old Michael Gladden, also known as “Wannie” or “Onie” has been found guilty of attempted murder following a High Court trial in which the victim testified against him via video link from the United States where she now lives after fleeing Belize. The guilty verdict was handed down on Thursday
The post ‘The Law Never Sleeps’: Michael ‘Onie’ Gladden found guilty of woman’s attempted murder; May never see freedom again appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
