Fire destroys four houses

Fire of unknown origin destroyed four houses in a yard at Queensborough, Kingston 19, yesterday morning. No one was injured.

Reports are that about 4:30 a.m., one of the occupants was awakened by crackling sounds, realised that a section of the house was on fire and raised an alarm. The police and fire brigade were alerted. The fire quickly spread engulfing the other houses. One unit from the Half Way Tree Fire Department extinguished the blaze.

Estimate of the loss is not known.

The Duhaney Park Police are investigating.

Gun magazine found

A 9mm magazine containing five .380 cartridges was found on a dirt track in the Eltham Park area of Spanish Town yesterday morning.

No arrests were made.

Reports are that about 6:10 a.m., the police were on patrol in the area when they saw three men acting in a suspicious manner. The officers accosted the men who ran leaving behind the loaded magazine.

Investigations are continuing.

Woman on assault charge bailed

A woman who was remanded for failing to return to court to answer to an assault charge was granted bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The accused, Natalie Beckford, of a Corporate Area address, was charged with absconding bail.

Allegations are that Beckford was on $10,000 bail for an assault charge. She had told the court she had acted in self-defence. However, after the matter was mentioned she failed to return to court.

Beckford's lawyer told the court that his client's failure to return to court was due to negligence on her part. He added, however, that she had a child in October last year, and experienced a few difficulties during that period.

Beckford was granted $15,000 bail and should report to the Bog Walk Police Station once per week. She is to return to court on April 21.