Prince Copious changes plea to guilty after viewing video of himself in Audrey Matura home burglary

By Breaking Belize News Staff: Twenty-five-year-old Prince Copious has changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in the burglary of attorney Audrey Matura’s Belize City home after viewing surveillance footage prosecutors intended to use against him at trial.

Copious appeared before a Senior Magistrate in Court #2 on Tuesday, where his burglary trial was continuing. He had previously complained that he had not been provided with what was described as one of the prosecution’s most significant pieces of evidence — surveillance footage from Matura’s home.

After Copious was provided with the footage and viewed it, he changed his plea to guilty before the video could be formally tendered into evidence.

The Senior Magistrate further remanded Copious to the Belize Central Prison and adjourned sentencing until September 8, 2026.

The trial had begun in July, with Matura’s office assistant among the witnesses called by the prosecution. An officer had also begun testifying in relation to the surveillance footage and was expected to return to court to formally introduce the recording into evidence. Prosecutor Sergeant Duelene Neal had several additional witnesses lined up, including Matura and her son before Copious changed his plea.

The case dates back to the Easter weekend of 2025. Police said Matura’s Chetumal Boulevard residence was burglarized sometime between April 19 and April 21 while she was away. Her son subsequently reported the burglary, and surveillance footage allegedly showed a man using a makeshift ladder to reach the second floor before entering through a bathroom window. Copious, who had worked as a maintenance worker at the residence, was later identified as the suspect.

Among the property reported stolen was a 9mm Ruger pistol valued at $3,500, a magazine containing seven live rounds, jewelry, cosmetics, a cellular phone, knives and other items. The total value of the stolen property was reported at more than $6,000. The firearm has not been reported recovered.

Police issued a wanted notice for Copious following the burglary, and he was subsequently captured in Dangriga before being returned to Belize City to face the charge.

Copious was also recently remanded in connection with another burglary allegation after the court was informed that he was already before the court on the Matura burglary matter.

He will return to court on September 8 for sentencing.

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