By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was acquitted on Friday of attempting to murder his grandmother and uncle after prosecutors accused him of setting them on fire during a heated dispute at Gibbs Corner in 2023.

Ricardo Richardson wept silently in the prisoner’s dock as an eight-member jury unanimously found him not guilty of two counts of attempted murder.

The jury also returned not guilty verdicts on alternative charges of causing dangerous harm to each relative after deliberating for more than two hours.

Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns told Richardson he was free to go, provided he had no other matters before the court.

Richardson had been accused of setting fire to his uncle, Emile Humes, and his grandmother, the late Magnolia Moxey, then 74, following an argument on November 27, 2023.

He denied throwing gasoline on either relative, claiming his uncle accidentally caught fire when gasoline ignited in mid-air.

Prosecutors maintained that Richardson deliberately doused his relatives with gasoline and set them on fire following an argument.

Mr Humes testified that his nephew set him on fire after the two argued over removing Richardson’s dogs from the yard of the house. He said he had made a police complaint about the dogs and that his mother was afraid of them.

Mr Humes alleged Richardson threw gasoline on him twice while his back was turned and he was near his mother on the family porch.

Richardson, however, claimed the argument concerned his grandmother being left by his uncle to live at the house, which he described as abandoned and in dire need of repair.

He told the jury that during the heated argument his uncle threatened to burn down the family home after Ms Moxey died.

Richardson claimed his uncle accidentally set himself on fire while attempting to throw gasoline at him, saying the fuel and its canister ignited in mid-air. He said he avoided the flames by jumping back.

Richardson also claimed he rushed to his grandmother’s aid after his uncle, while ablaze, fell on her and caused her to catch fire. He said he used his shirt to put out the flames on Ms Moxey and took her to hospital.

Mr Humes suffered burns to 80 to 90 percent of his body and was placed in a medically induced coma for five weeks while being treated.

Ms Moxey suffered burns to her hands, chest and legs.

Defence attorney Walton Bain argued in his closing address that the prosecution’s evidence was weak, vague and inconsistent.

Prosecutors countered that Richardson’s account was nonsensical and alleged he had constructed his version of events from evidence presented during the trial.

Tylah Murray, Khaula Reid and Cephia Pinder-Moss represented the prosecution.