Police Officer Rennick Stevens and 21-year-old Nyoka James of Marigot are now inmates on remand at the Dominica State Prison (DSP) after they made their first court appearances on Monday, August 24, 2026.
Both are charged with perverting the course of justice in relation to the death of 16-year-old Jerbiah Paul.
Nyoka Julissa Sarah James did pervert the course of justice by making a false statement to police on August 7, 2026, to wit a false alibi in favour of Jean-Luc Langlais, who at the time was being investigated by the police for the murder of Jerbiah Kaysia Paul.
Bail Application
Zena Moore Dyer, who is the legal representative for James, called that charge “purported,” stating that “it does not exist in law.”
“This charge before the court does not prove that my client perverted the course of justice; there is no offense, because there must also be a willful intent,” she told the court. She stated that her client gave the police officer a statement during the course of the investigations and such a statement is “not an offence and she cannot be deprived of her liberty under the Constitution.”
The onus, she explained, was on the prosecution to prove that her client should be denied bail, hence there was a presumption of “innocence.” Moore-Dyer told the court that there were “No grounds at all to show that her client, if granted bail, would not surrender to the custody of the State or pervert the course of justice or interfere with witnesses.”
“She’s a young woman, 21 years and a first-time offender; she has been persecuted by the police, who along with the Regional Security System (RSS) took her into custody and questioned her and released her; she also has a fixed address.” She also stated that her client’s two phones have been taken from her.
“Substantial grounds must be given by the prosecution to deny someone their liberty, and there are none,” she said.
In response, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Sherma Dalrymple told the court that contrary to what defense counsel Moore-Dyer was saying, the State does have a properly framed charge before the court.
“The accused gave a false statement about her alibi to the police, and based on the law, it is clear that making a false statement is an offense; we have met the particulars according to the law, which is clear and unambiguous; the accused fabricated the alibi,” the DPP stated.
She also accused defense counsel of trying to come “through the back door” in relation to the charge. “The objection by counsel should have been before the charge was read; she missed the bus and now is trying to come through the back door.”
The DPP also stated that while under the Constitution James has “a right to liberty,” but under the Bail Act she does not have “an absolute right to liberty.”
“The matter before this court is very serious and the punishment if found guilty is 14 years in jail, and yes, her devices have been taken away for analysis which must be done out of Dominica.”
“We are saying that no conditions can restrict the accused accessing information from her devices; we need to preserve that evidence; this matter is not on its own; it’s linked to a murder,” she told the court.
Decision
The magistrate, Kimalia Alfred, then stated that having listened to both sides, the bail application is denied because (1) the court cannot be assured that she will attempt to do so on her own or with a professionally trained IT professional to retrieve information from her phone. (2) The fact that she hasn’t attempted to do so does not mean she won’t. (3) In and of itself, giving a false alibi to an investigating officer is a serious offense. (4) The court is not satisfied that the accused will not, or with the assistance of others, attempt to access information on her phone while on bail. (5) It is impracticable to complete the analysis on the phone without keeping the accused in custody. (6) This matter is linked to a serious offense, murder.
The matter was adjourned to October 2, 2026 for reporting purposes.
The charge for Stevens reads as follows: Rennick Stevens, between July 25, 2026 and August 11, 2026, did pervert the course of justice by drafting part of a statement and by sending WhatsApp text messages in favour of Jean-Luc Langlais to avoid his arrest, who at the time was being investigated by the police for the murder of Jerbiah Kaysia Paul of Portsmouth. Officier Stevens is represented by Wayne Norde and Gina Abraham Thomas. They did not apply for bail. Matter adjourned to November 16, 2026 at Portsmouth for reporting.