Glen resident await sentencing for 2019 murder of Belair man

A male resident of Glen was found guilty of murder, and for using a firearm to aid in the commission of an offence in relation to the 2019 shooting death of a Belair man.

Uranus Cabral appeared at the High Court before Justice Rickie Burnett, on October 18, 2024, where a jury found him guilty of murdering 49 year old Marcus Corridon of Belair, and for using a firearm to aid in the commission of the offence on August 19, 2019 at Belair. In his summations, Justice Burnett said that in August 2019, Cabral was living with his relative, and had a girlfriend.

The relative testified that Cabral told him of a shooting that had recently occurred. According to the relative, Uranus was on his way to his girlfriend’s house in Belair, when he encountered a group of men who wanted to know who he was, because he was dressed in black clothing. As a result, one of the men began following Cabral with his jeep. The man then exited the jeep and got closer to Cabral to ask who he was.

Cabral, who was in possession of a gun and had already cocked it, did not give the man a chance to take a hold of him. Cabral pointed the gun at the man and shot him to the left side of his chest. Cabral then watched the man take his last breath, then headed to his girlfriend’s residence. Cabral told his relative that it was his first time shooting and killing someone. The relative said that he saw Cabral with a gun before.

However, Cabral said that his relative was lying. The relative did not tell anyone what Cabral had told him because he was fearful that Cabral would find out. In 2021, both men had an argument where Cabral accused the same relative of stealing from him. The relative provided a statement to the police of what Cabral had confessed to him in relation to Corridon’s murder.

However, Cabral denied killing Corridon. The defence, whose case was being led by lawyer Michael Wyllie, argued that the relative was fabricating this story. Witnesses testified that a man walked past a bar and they wanted to know who the man was because he was dressed in all-black clothing. Cabral said that at the time of Corridon’s murder, he was in Ottley Hall.

Surgical Pathologist, Dr Ronald Child testified in the trial that he performed a post-mortem on Corridon on the day after his death. He said that Corridon died from a gunshot wound that entered on the left side of his chest, bruised his lung and exited through his back.

The defence said that investigators should have provided fingerprint evidence in the trial, and asked the jury to doubt the prosecution’s case due to the absence thereof.

Director of Public Prosecution Sejilla McDowald, and Crown Counsel Renée Simmons, who led for the Crown, argued that the relative testified that Cabral shot Corridon before Corridon had a chance to touch him. Therefore, fingerprint evidence may not have been necessary. The defence argued that Cabral never lived with his relative, but was living in Ottley Hall.

Cabral denied killing Corridon. The police searched his home and found nothing, and he was also taken up for questioning. In 2014, Cabral had a firearm which was confiscated. He denied owning a gun in 2018, and denied saying that he will kill his relative. However, the Crown noted that Cabral was making claims in the trial that he did not say during his electronic interviews, including where he was when the incident occurred.

A witness testified that Cabral was at his home. The witness testified that Cabral did not leave the house on August 19 because he had the flu. Cabral’s girlfriend testified that on the date of Corridon’s death, Cabral was not at her home. She said that she called Cabral, who was in Glen at the time, to notify him of the shooting.

The 12 member jury, which deliberated for one hour and 41 minutes returned guilty verdicts for both offences. Cabral will be sentenced on December 12, 2024.