Cops accused of Acadia triple murder seek acquittal as defence opens case

Defence lawyers for six policemen accused of murdering three men in St Andrew in 2013 have begun no-case submissions in the Home Circuit Court, after the prosecution closed its case on Wednesday.

The defence is seeking to have the case dismissed and their clients acquitted.

Attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman began his submission on Thursday and is scheduled to continue on Monday before Justice Sonia Bertram-Linton, in the absence of the seven-member jury.

Other defence attorneys expected to make submissions are John Jacobs and Althea Grant-Coppins.

Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton and constables Orandy Rose, Andrew Smith, Richard Lynch and Sheldon Richards are on trial for the murders of Eucliffe Dyer, Matthew Lee and Mark Allen, who were fatally shot along Arcadia Drive in St Andrew on January 12, 2013.

The Crown, represented by Senior Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Kathy Ann Pyke and acting Assistant DPP Cygail Pennant, is alleging that the three men were shot dead by the lawmen.

The Crown has called some 20 witnesses in the trial, which began on January 19 and has been plagued by delays and controversy.

Earlier in the trial, a detective corporal, who was among the investigators, testified that all six cops gave him the same account when he saw them at the station following the incident.

According to the witness, the men reported that a blue Mitsubishi Outlander was signalled to stop, after which the occupants exited the vehicle and opened fire at them.

“They took evasive action by returning fire, and three men received injuries, and one man ran down Evans Avenue and escaped,” he recalled being told.

Two illegal firearms – an Arcus pistol and a submachine gun – were reportedly recovered following the incident.

However, the two main eyewitnesses, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green and his then partner, gave accounts that differed from the policemen’s version of events.

Both testified that they saw the police shooting at the men but did not observe any of the three men carrying firearms or firing at the police.

The female eyewitness further testified that she saw the police shooting at one of the men as he ran before eventually falling.

Both witnesses testified that they had documented what they observed in a letter that was jointly sent to the Independent Commission of Investigations. They also said they subsequently gave statements after being contacted by the commission.

Among the evidence presented also was the testimony of a retired government forensic analyst, who said that no gunshot residue was found on any of the three men who were killed.

However, she said a small amount of nitrate was detected in one of the samples taken from Dyer.

The witness also indicated that the presence of nitrate alone, particularly in the proportion detected, was insufficient to conclude that gunshot residue was present.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com