A high-profile criminal investigation into the death of a missing Portsmouth teenager took another key turn this week, when a serving police constable and his girlfriend were refused bail by a Dominican court.
Twenty-three-year-old Constable Patrick Bethelmie Jr., a resident of Bense, and Jolie-Ana Naomi James, his girlfriend from Portsmouth’s Lagoon neighborhood, appeared before the Roseau Magistrate’s Court on Friday, September 4 to hear rulings on their bail applications. Both suspects currently face two joint charges: perverting the course of justice, and illegal possession of ammunition, charges that are directly tied to the probe into 19-year-old Jerbiah Paul’s death.
James was first taken into custody and formally charged on August 31. She has entered a formal not guilty plea to the ammunition possession charge, while no plea was required from her for the more serious indictable charge of perverting the course of justice. Her bail hearing was automatically scheduled to be held alongside Bethelmie’s on September 4.
The investigation traces back to late July, when Paul was first reported missing by family members on July 24. Nearly three weeks later, on August 12, search teams discovered severely decomposed human remains in a steep precipice in the Capuchin region of Dominica. Investigative teams have drawn an initial link between the remains and the missing teenager, though they note that formal DNA testing is still required to provide definitive confirmation of identity.
To date, the ongoing probe has resulted in criminal charges being brought against six individuals. Of the six suspects in custody, four are serving police officers including Bethelmie, and the other two are civilian women including James. All six defendants are currently being held on remand at the Dominica State Prison as investigators continue to collect evidence and build their case.
The legal process remains active before the Dominican courts, and official investigations are still ongoing as authorities work to uncover the full circumstances surrounding Paul’s death.