Defendants accused in three separate murder cases appeared before yesterday's arraignments session.

The family and friends of Kellon Hill 18, Rhiana Moore, 14, and Aquil Richardson, 30, packed out the public gallery during a particularly tense and sombre session at the Supreme Court.

Drugs and gun charges were also a key focus of the hearing, which was so busy that defence lawyers struggled to find a place to sit.

The first defendant before Chief Justice Richard Ground was Ze Menefeskiduse Selassie, 33, who pleaded not guilty to the premeditated murder of Rhiana Moore on or about May 30, 2008.

The young girl's body was found in the mangroves at Blue Hole Park, a nature reserve off Blue Hole Hill in Hamilton Parish, on May 31. Selassie, of St. David's, was remanded into custody.

The five teenagers accused of murdering Kellon Hill on August 9 last year are Kellan Jeaurreau Lewis, 17, of Sandys, Kevin Andre Warner, 19, of Warwick, Gary Rupert Hollis, 16, of Sandys, Devon Vonzell Hairston, 17, of Smith's and Zharrin Frankie Simmons, 17, of Pembroke.

Mr. Hill was stabbed to death in Tribe Road 4B as he left a late-night party at Elbow Beach, Paget.

Lewis alone is accused of unlawfully possessing a bladed article in a public place, with the others facing individual charges of possessing offensive weapons. Warner is said to have had a wooden cane, Hollis and Hairston allegedly had crash helmets, and Simmons a screwdriver.

All five denied the charges and were remanded into custody.

Antoine Herbert Anderson, and Philip Anthony Bradshaw are due to stand trial on January 26 for the alleged murder of Aquil Richardson on Boxing Day, 2007. Mr. Richardson was shot dead as he sat on a wall in Southampton. The pair are also accused of assaulting Lavar Smith, who was shot as well.

Also before the court were Michael Zephania Eversley, 28, and Marcus Shawn Bean, 29, who pleaded not guilty to gun, drug and ammunition charges. The pair, from Pembroke and St. George's parishes respectively, are alleged to have illegally possessed a pistol and seven rounds of ammunition on May 30, 2008. They face a further charge of possessing cannabis on the same date, with Bean alone facing an additional charge of cannabis possession. They were bailed by the Chief Justice.

Kershun Kenneth Dublin was before the court on gun charges. He is accused of conspiring in Bermuda and elsewhere with others not before the court, between a date unknown and May 9 last year, to possess a semi-automatic revolver, four revolvers and 170 rounds of ammunition. He is further accused of conspiracy to possess cannabis with intent to supply.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was remanded into custody, to stand trial on February 3.

Jason Kenneth Wheatley, 28, and Suzi Moniz Raposo, 22, were brought to court over drug and gun possession charges relating to events on April 4 last year.

Wheatley admitted possessing cannabis in the kitchen of a home on Wilkinson Avenue, Hamilton Parish – an increased penalty zone since it is near the Lyceum nursery school. Raposo denied the charge.

Wheatley further admitted possessing drug equipment in the form of three heat sealers and a silver grinder in the kitchen, with Raposo denying it. She did, however, admit to being the occupier of the premises and allowing the supply and preparation of a controlled drug there.

In further charges faced by Wheatley alone, he admitted possessing cannabis in the bedroom of the home, denied possessing a digital scale in the bedroom, but admitted possessing two revolvers and a total of 12 rounds of bullets.

He denied two other bullet-possession allegations relating to a total of nine rounds.

The charges they denied will lie on file, with Wheatley remanded into custody and Raposo bailed ahead of their sentencing.

In a separate case, Joshua Geoffrey Wolffe, Steven Jireh Iris and Leshaun Tony Scott are accused of attempting to murder Kevon Albouy on July 10 last year. No details of the background to the charges were given in court.

Wolffe is also accused of possessing a knife with a six-inch blade in Middle Road, Southampton on the same date, which he denies. Scott is alleged to have possessed a wooden stick as an offensive weapon in the same venue on the same date, with Iris said to have had a metal chain with a padlock attached.

All three are further accused of damaging a car belonging to Kathy Albouy in the night on the same date, causing damage exceeding $60. They denied all the charges and were bailed, with conditions including a curfew and not contacting the complainants.

Shayne McRoy Smith faced nine burglary charges. He is said to have committed break-ins at the Van Buren Shell gas station on two occasions, Empire Grocery Store, HWP gas station, Serpentine Liquor, C-Mart, People's Pharmacy and Noah's Ark store through the course of June, July and August 2008. Cigarettes, cigarette lighters, phone cards and cash are alleged to have been stolen during some of the incidents. He pleaded not guilty and will go on trial on February 9.

Unless otherwise stated, the rest of the defendants will come back to court at the next arraignments session on February 2.