What to know about the man slain on Prince Charles while at a traffic light

The brazen daylight killing of a man and woman on one of Nassau’s main thoroughfares on Wednesday was shocking. At the end of the barrage of bullets, Dino Smith, who has had brushes with the law, and his passenger Chatere Wells were found dead in their vehicle on Prince Charles Drive while at the stop light.

The three gunmen, armed with high-powered weapons, escaped before police arrived, later abandoning their vehicle in the area.

Smith was a target, having been shot at weeks before he was killed, according to police.

Here is a brief look at what we know about Dino Smith’s time in the court system.

July 17, 2017

Dino Smith, 23 years old at the time, was arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court for the murder of Levardo Sherman Deveaux for an incident that reportedly took place July 10 of that year.

Police stated that he exited the rear of a vehicle on Fowler Street, off East Street, and shot Deveaux who was taken to hospital but later died.

Smith was denied bail and remanded to the Department of Correctional Services.

August 26, 2019

After sentencing for the killing of Levardo Deveaux, his conviction was quashed and he was permitted to appeal with no order for a retrial.

During the trial, Deveaux’s sister said her brother told her that Smith shot him. But Smith’s defence argued that Deveaux was his friend and a man named Georgie the purchaser of a gun he sold him, shot Deveaux by mistake while inspecting the gun.

A jury found him guilty but he appealed the conviction claiming the judge made a mistake by failing to direct the jury that the crime occurred with the assistance of others, and that the conviction was “unsafe and unsatisfactory”.

Justices Sir Hartman Longley, Madam Justice Crane-Scott and Justice Milton Evans presided over the matter and his conviction was quashed.

May 24, 2022

Smith, 28 at the time, was charged with his girlfriend Annette Johnson, for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

Police reported that on May 20, he was found with a black Austria Glock .40 pistol with the serial number erased and without a licence, along with 13 live rounds of .40 ammo.

Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was granted $7,500 bail and fitted with an ankle monitor.

November 8, 2022

Smith and another man Cleophus Smith, were accused of the attempted murder of Leonard Symonette on October 23.

They were remanded to prison and were expected to return to court for the presentation of their VBI on February 9, 2023.

November 2023

He was a suspect in the $1.5m robbery from an armoury car but was released without charges.

Gunmen shot at him days after his release from custody but he refused to provide police with information regarding the individuals responsible for shooting him, police say.