The man accused of shooting Police Inspector Sidney Rolle in South Andros early last week was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court on Monday where he faced a number of charges running the gamut from rape to damage.
Chief Magistrate Roger Gomez read the charges against McDonald Rahming, 42, before denying him bail and remanding him to Her Majestyﾒs Prison until July 7.
Rahming, a Bahamian who lives on South Andros, is accused separately of forcibly detaining and raping a 14-year-old Andros girl.
It is alleged that he took the girl by force on Saturday June 24, and detained her against her will with the intent to have sex with her, which he allegedly did without her consent.
Rahming was not required to plead to the rape charge; Magistrate Gomez informed him that a preliminary inquiry would be held at some future date.
Rahming also faced one count of causing grievous harm, one count of possession of an unlicensed firearm, three counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and two counts of damage.
On Sunday June 25, Rahming is alleged to have intentionally and unlawfully caused harm to Inspector Rolle. He was also charged with possessing an unlicensed 12-guage shotgun.
It is alleged that he used that shotgun to endanger the lives of Jacqueline Johnson, Nyeisha Cash and Jewel McPhee.
He was also charged with causing damage to two vehicles, one a Chevy Silverado and the other a Nissan Avena.
Prosecutor Althea Porter requested that Rahming be denied bail, and that a bail hearing be scheduled for July 12.
She told the court she had not had time to find out whether Rahming had any prior offences, at which point Rahmingﾒs lawyer, Roger Minnis, objected to the request denying his client bail.
Mr. Minnis pointed out that the police had had Rahming in custody since last Thursday, which he said gave them more than enough time ﾖ in this computer age, as he put it ﾖ to have found out whether Rahming had prior offences. He called Ms. Porterﾒs submission an “exercise” aimed at continuing Rahmingﾒs detention.
Prosecutor Porter reiterated her objection to bail, pointing out that the victim is still in hospital, which Mr. Minnis rebutted by noting that, as the charge is causing grievous harm and not attempted murder, there was no danger to the victimﾒs life.
Once it became apparent that Rahming would not get bail, Mr. Minnis then asked the court for an earlier date, which request was granted. Rahming will appear in court on July 7 for a bail hearing.
Sixteen witnesses are listed on the dockets in the matters Rahming faces ﾖ the same sixteen witnesses for each of the nine charges.
By: Quincy Parker, The Bahama Journal
