Gun Court Frees Man After Prosecutors Fail to Produce Key Video

Man Acquitted of Gun Charges: A man who was charged with firearm-related offences after police reviewed video footage of a shooting has been acquitted in the Western Regional Gun Court.

Kavern Patrick was found not guilty on Thursday of charges of using a firearm to commit a felony and shooting with intent.

The charges stemmed from a September 1, 2023 incident in Hatfield, Westmoreland, where businessman Andre Reid, also known as “Dus”, reported that a lone gunman opened fire at his home.

Reid, who was later killed before the trial began, had told investigators that a nearby surveillance camera captured the shooting. In a statement admitted into evidence under the Evidence Act, he said the camera owner initially refused to hand the footage to police due to security concerns but later allowed him to share it with investigators.

According to Patrick’s attorney, Donnovan Collins, the surveillance footage was never presented in court. Instead, prosecutors relied on testimony from police officers about what they claimed they observed in the recording.

Collins said the court accepted legal arguments allowing officers to testify about the contents of a video even if the recording itself is unavailable, but the judge ultimately appeared to give little weight to that evidence.

The defence also challenged the identification process, arguing it did not follow established procedures. Collins further noted that Reid did not know his alleged attacker before the incident and that the identification was made under difficult circumstances.

Patrick was subsequently acquitted of all charges.

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