Jahciba Shoy, 27, has been granted bail following the High Court's dismissal of all charges against him stemming from the fatal armed robbery at Pick 'N Mix Mart on DeSouza Road, which claimed the life of businessman Roudi Shmaly in 2023. According to Antigua.news, Justice John Spencer upheld a no-case submission and dismissed the murder, aggravated robbery, and manslaughter charges Shoy had been facing.
Despite the ruling, Shoy was initially returned to prison after the prosecution signalled its intention to appeal. He subsequently applied for bail pending that appeal, and the court approved the application. Bail was set at a $10,000 bond with no cash deposit required, along with two sureties.
The case against Shoy collapsed after Justice Spencer found that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence to place the matter before a jury. The Crown's case rested largely on surveillance footage showing Shoy walking alongside the eventual gunman minutes before the robbery, as well as evidence that he carried a shoulder bag similar to one later seen in the possession of the then 16-year-old who fatally shot Shmaly.
Defence attorney Wendel Alexander argued that the evidence amounted to speculation rather than proof, and was insufficient to demonstrate that his client had participated in the crime. Speaking to ABS News following the ruling, Alexander said the prosecution had failed to present any evidence directly linking Shoy to the robbery or the killing.
The robbery at Pick 'N Mix Mart sent shockwaves across Antigua and Barbuda when Shmaly was shot and killed during the hold-up. The teenager who fired the fatal shot was subsequently convicted of murder and, because he was 16 at the time of the offence, received the maximum sentence available under the country's juvenile sentencing guidelines — three years in prison.
With the prosecution now pursuing an appeal of the no-case ruling, the matter against Shoy is not yet fully resolved. He remains free on bail while the appeal process moves forward.
