A V.I. Superior Court Judge Friday denied bail to 20-year-old Cuthbertson Thomas, a Dominica native accused of first degree murder and many other charges on St. Thomas, who was caught on Tortola this week and extradited to the territory Wednesday.
“He’s not going anywhere,” said Assistant Attorney General Michael Motylinski after the hearing Friday.
Thomas was denied bail and ordered detained until he is tried for first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, assault, as well as a related weapons charge for the death of Phillip George, who was shot and killed early on the morning of March 7, 2009 outside the Lexus Night Club in Smith Bay. Others were shot in the same incident.
Richie Fontaine, a fellow Dominica immigrant and member of Thomas’ posse, was recently convicted of voluntary manslaughter for the same shooting. Fontaine awaits sentencing on that conviction, but was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for an unrelated robbery and shooting.
Thomas and Fontaine, who were recently characterized by a prosecutor as “joined at the hip,” are both charged with assault, attempted first-degree murder, assault, child abuse, reckless endangerment and related weapons charges for another shootout on May 6, 2009, near the E. Oliver Benjamin Elementary School during which a 10-year-old boy was shot while riding a school bus on his way home from school.
Immediately after his detention hearing Friday, Thomas was taken to Magistrate Court to be advised of his rights in the charges for the March 7, 2009, shooting.
In addition to those two shootings, Thomas is also charged with assault and weapons charges for a gunpoint robbery and shooting in Frydendahl in August.
He was in the process of being deported back to Dominica from the BVI when his U.S.V.I. warrants caught up to him on Tortola and he was extradited to St. Thomas on Wednesday.
Originally held on $400,000 bail, Thomas will be detained while he awaits trial on the murder charges. No trial date was set Friday.
Thomas has yet to be arraigned for the charges stemming from the March 7 shooting and Aug. 14 robbery and shooting.