St James constable granted $1m bail at first circuit appearance in Bulgin killing

Constable Andrew Wilson faced the St James Circuit Court for the first time this morning on a murder charge linked to the fatal shooting of Latoya “Buju” Bulgin on May 17 in Granville, St James, and left with bail set at $1 million.

The case moved up from the St James Parish Court after prosecutors proceeded by voluntary bill of indictment. High Court Justice Andrea Pettigrew-Collins heard that the Crown’s file remains incomplete. Still missing are a transcript of Wilson’s interview, the post-mortem findings, and a biology certificate covering biological material taken from the alleged crime scene.

Defence counsel have also not been given copies of material already in the prosecution’s possession: the arresting officer’s statement, the forensic certificate, and CCTV recordings. Wilson is represented by King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney Michael Hemmings.

Seeking bail, Champagnie told the court that Wilson had already secured $1 million bail with surety while the matter sat in the parish court and had kept to his reporting obligations. Justice Pettigrew-Collins continued bail on those same terms and conditions, and directed that the missing disclosure reach the defence by August 7.

A case-management hearing is fixed for October 9.

Bulgin, who lived in Granville, was reportedly killed during a demonstration marking the death of her 17-year-old cousin a week earlier in a separate police-related incident.