No bail for murder-accused cop

Constable Andrew Wilson, the policeman charged with murder in the May 17 shooting death of 45-year-old Latoya ‘Buju’ Bulgin in Granville, St James, was yesterday denied bail during his first appearance in the St James Parish Court.

In making the decision, presiding parish judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton pointed to concerns which were raised by the prosecution that Wilson might interfere with civilian witnesses in the matter and that he might abscond if granted bail. The prosecution also argued that, based on their information, Wilson’s reported actions were not a case of self-defence. Fairclough-Hylton said she was denying bail in the interest of maintaining public order, due to Wilson’s status as a police officer, and reports that Bulgin’s death occurred during a peaceful protest regarding an earlier alleged police shooting of another Granville resident. 

Following a probe by the Independent Commission of Investigations 

(INDECOM) into the incident involving Wilson and Bulgin, a file was then submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions which ruled on May 29 that Wilson should be charged with murder. INDECOM said that “prompt collection and analysis of video evidence” assisted in “establishing an objective understanding of this fatal shooting incident”. 

“It is important to note that early access to CCTV, body-worn camera footage, mobile phone recordings and other video sources can assist investigators in identifying critical individuals, verifying accounts, establishing timelines and uncovering important evidential leads in any incident,” the entity said in a release. Nine police officers and one correctional officer have been charged in 2026 in relation to incidents investigated by INDECOM. 

Meanwhile, the court was told that several documents were outstanding from the prosecution’s case file, including a further statement in relation to CCTV footage of the incident, a forensic certificate for the ballistic report, the arresting officer’s statement, and transcripts of interviews with officers at the scene. Wilson, who was represented by attorney-at-law Michael Hemmings during the bail hearing, was subsequently remanded until June 16, when the case will be mentioned.

CCTV footage which circulated on social media following the incident shows a police officer firing at a vehicle which was driven by Bulgin. Following the incident, residents in Granville staged fiery demonstrations and expressed public outrage over the incident, while fresh calls were made for the urgent roll out of body-worn cameras in high-risk police operations.