Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Grant paid overdue rent, rental vehicle in cash day after robbery- court

Grant paid overdue rent, rental vehicle in cash day after robbery- court

One day after the robbery and the same day that Catherine Pickering, the 67-year-old woman who was fatally shot during a robbery on April 18, 2021, at her residence in Paraquita Bay, Tortola in the head and chest with an AK-47 assault rifle, died from her wounds, Shameek Grant, reportedly paid his landlord $1,950 cash after being behind on his rent.

He also paid a rental company $360 for the use of a red Suzuki Vitara he and his co-accused had been using, Director of Public Prosecutions Mrs Tiffany R. Scatliffe-Esprit told the Magistrate's Court on April 29, 2021, when Shameek Grant and Akeem Hopkinson, who are jointly charged with Murder, Robbery and Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life, made their first court appearance.

According to Scatliffe-Esprit, CCTV found inside of the accused men’s Zion Hill residence incriminated them.

She said police confiscated a digital video recorder (DVR) which showed the crime had been in the works for days.

When police reviewed the footage, the DPP said, it showed that Hopkinson entering his residence on April 16, 2021, with three other men, including his co-accused, Grant, carrying a bag containing what appeared to be the weapon used to kill Pickering, an AK-47 assault rifle.

Hopkinson was allegedly seen showing the men how the weapon worked.

The surveillance footage captured Hopkinson taking the rifle to his bedroom, in the presence of Grant and his girlfriend and on the day of the incident he left with it on a scooter.

During that time, his co-accused Grant remained in the apartment but was seen making a number of phone calls, including to his co-accused Hopkinson at 6:51 pm, which placed Hopkinson as per the cell site analysis in Paraquita Bay.

Scatliffe-Esprit said police investigations led them to the pair and arrested them while they were on the Zion Hill public road two days later.

She said a search warrant was then executed at their residence, and there police recovered a magazine containing four live rounds of 7.62 ammunition inside Hopkinsons’ room, and it was then that the DVR was found.

The DVR also showed the men counting cash on the same night of the robbery and laughing with each other; it showed two women entering the house and removing the rifle, which has not been found to this date.

When the men were re-arrested by police and interviewed, Hopkinson allegedly said, he was in the Paraquita Bay area and had the gun, which he said Grant had provided.

Robbery/murder


According to the facts of the case, the Virtual Complainant (VC) Maricel Pickering left her gas station business with a bag with $3,100 inside, and offered a ride to Shermar Richardson, her employee, who is accused of giving information to the accused men to commit the crime.

She then dropped Richardson in Gene Hill, where he lived in her father’s apartment, and gave her brother $150 from the cash.

She then drove the rest of the way to her Paraquita Bay residence alone.

When she arrived at her Pariquita Bay home that she shares with her mother, Catherine Pickering, she reportedly exited the vehicle and was startled by a male voice saying, “give me the money”.

Frightened, she then dropped the bag and fled and sought refuge behind the house.

What appeared to be gunshots were heard being discharged while she screamed for help.

It was that time her mother came out of the house and was shot in her head and chest.

The sound of a motor scooter was heard leaving the scene after the gunfire abated, and police recovered 7.62 spent shells that are normally associated with AK-47 assault rifles on the scene.

The bag containing the cash was not found.

The duo is unrepresented and is scheduled to return to court on May 27, 2021.

They were remanded to prison by Magistrate Chrislilyn Benjamin.

Akeem Hopkinson (in photo) is jointly charged with Shameek Grant for Murder, Robbery and Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life.

Catherine Pickering was shot in the head and chest with an AK-47 assault rifle and died of her injuries on April 19, 2021.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×