Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

Two murder cases - one of which has been dragging on for seven years without trial - were put off Monday for trial dates next year.

The cases were set for trial in the Home Circuit Court, but had to be put off because of a murder case which began last week and is continuing this week.

One case involves police Constable Lascene Edwards, who is charged with the murder of Aldonna Harris, the mother of his child.

Justice Kay Beckford extended his bail until February 14 next year when his trial will commence.

Harris was fatally shot in the head at her home in Pembroke Hall, St Andrew, in 2003.

The Crown is alleging that Edwards shot the deceased and left a suicide note at the murder scene.

The defence is contending that Harris wrote the suicide note and then shot herself. A handwriting expert from overseas is to testify for the defence.

Patrick Atkinson, QC, and attorney-at-law Valerie Neita-Robertson are representing Edwards. The court was told Monday that Neita-Robertson was not in the island and the defence had requested an adjournment.

Safa murder

In the other case, the trial of Christopher Dixon, 33, upholsterer, of Seaview Gardens, Kingston 11, was set for January 17 next year.

He is charged with the murder of 29-year-old psychic Safa Asuntuwa. He was beaten to death between June 24 and 25, 2002. His body was found in a gully off the Cavaliers main road in St Andrew about 10:30 a.m. on June 25, 2002.

It is being alleged that Dixon and another man were the last to have seen Asuntuwa alive.

Dixon, who is being represented by attorney-at-law Tom Tavares-Finson, was convicted in June 2003 of the murder, but in June 2004, the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial. Dixon is in custody.

The retrial had to be put off on several occasions because of absent witnesses.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com