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Five years after the fatal shooting of a bus conductor at the Spanish Town bus park, a policeman has been charged with murder and granted $800,000 bail with surety.

Constable Jimoki Ingram, who was attached to the Spanish Town Police Station at the time of the incident, was formally charged on Tuesday following a ruling by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

He appeared before the St Catherine Parish Court, where the bail terms were set. Ingram, represented by attorney-at-law Pierre Rogers, was ordered to return to court on October 7, when the matter will again be mentioned.

Ingram is accused of fatally shooting 24-year-old bus conductor Alex Needham, otherwise called "Lexi," on July 1, 2020, during an altercation at the bus park.

Allegations are that around 6:15 p.m., Ingram, while on duty, attempted to accost Needham. A physical confrontation reportedly followed, during which the bus conductor was shot. He later died from his injuries.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Needham's father allegedly attacked the policeman with a machete, chopping him on the hand. The father was charged with wounding with intent, but was acquitted in November 2023.

An investigation was launched into the incident shortly after the shooting. The case file was submitted to the ODPP, which later ruled that Ingram should be charged with murder.

The case is ongoing.

- Rasbert Turner

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