“DEATH SQUAD” TRIAL CONTINUES
Kingston, Jamaica (McN) – Home Circuite Court Judge, Justice Jennifer Straw will rule on Wednesday on whether the statements given to investigators by constables Collis ‘Chucky’ Brown and Rohan Morrison in 2010 will be allowed into evidence in the trial, of the shooting death of one man and the injury of another.
Constable Brown and Constable Morrison are on trial for murder and wounding with intent in the Home Circuit Court.
The deceased, Fabian Dinal, was allegedly shot killed by the accused policemen, while another man, 17-year-old at the time of the shooting, was allegedly shot at close range and injured by the one of the cop, in May Pen in February 2010.
On Tuesday prosecuting attorney Ann-Marie Feurtado-Richards’ attempted to bring into evidence, Detective Inspector Balvey Thomas statements from the two police officers during examination-in-chief.
DEFENCE REPRIMANDED
The Defence attorneys objected repeatedly to the statement being brought forth to the court. The repeated objection brought on reprimand by Justice Jennifer Straw, of Brown’s attorney, Vincent Wellesley, during his series of objections.
“Stop jumping up and down unnecessarily,” the judge told Wellesley.
“It is not unnecessary. It is because my friend is not prepared,” Wellesley replied.
“No more comments. We cannot speak at the same time. Enough is enough, this is not a market,” the judge said, ordering him to take his seat.
“When she asked a question she is shutting him down, and that is inappropriate,” Wellesley said, referring to the questions that were posed by Feurtado-Richards.
On Tuesday, Inspector Thomas, who was a detective sergeant then with the May Pen Police Station, Clarendon, testified that after the incident he went to the May Pen Hospital, where he saw Brown and Morrison both.
He stated that he also saw two men, one of whom appeared to be dead.
Detective Inspector Thomas testified that, based on the information transmitted to him at the time of the incident, he instructed both policemen to report to the Bureau of Special Investigations to have their hands swabbed for forensics; at which constables Brown and Morrison complied.
In his testimony Inspector Thomas went on to state that afterwards he visited the scene of the shooting in May Pen.
On his arrival, he observed police processing the scene; after which he then contacted the police’s Scenes of Crime Unit.
The trial continues today.
