Brionne Swift

The trial of four fishermen who are accused of a double murder in San Pedro began on Wednesday in the Supreme Court. Brionne Swift, Victor Garnett also known as Prince, along with cousins, Frank Edwards Junior and Gabriel Salazar appeared before Justice Herbert Lord. They are jointly charged for the January twenty-ninth, 2009, double murder of twenty-five year old James Swan, a fisherman of the San Mateo area of San Pedro, along with his brother-in-law, twenty-six year old Eduardo Elias Gutierrez. Swift and Edwards are represented by Dickie Bradley and Simeon Sampson represents Edwards, Garnett and Salazar. On February third, police visited an area located fifteen miles from San Pedro Town, where they found the bodies of Gutierrez and James in a shallow grave. The crown's main witness, Eric Swan told the court that he and the victims went fishing in the Bacalar Chico area.

Gabriel Salazar

According to Eric, they were approached on the beach by a group of six men, who he quickly recognized as three of his cousins, Alexander Edwards, Frank Edwards Jr., and Gabriel Salazar. The other three men he said he recognized as Brionne Swift, Victor Garnett and Benjamin Peters. The men were all armed with guns; Brionne, Garnett and Edwards took James and Gutierrez into a bushy area while Salazar, Peters and Frank Edwards Jr. held him hostage. After about forty-five minutes, Eric said he heard several gun shots. Eric testified that they came under fire and that's when Garnett put a gun to his head and told him to run. But by then the police came and while Garnett and Brionne managed to escape, Eric was shot by police in the right foot and buttocks. Four other witnesses took the stand for the prosecution. The case continues on Friday.

Channel 5