KRAAL TRIAL: DAY 32 - Jury takes centre stage today
December 14, 2005
LAWYERS FOR the defence and the prosecution will begin to address the jury when the Kraal trial resumes today.
The defence closed its case yesterday at the trial of Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams and two other policemen charged with the murder of four persons in Kraal, Clarendon, on May 7, 2003.
Six policemen were charged, but three were freed on Monday after Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe ruled there was no case against them.
SSP Adams and Corporal Patrick Coke gave unsworn statements from the dock on Monday, while Corporal Shane Lyons gave his unsworn statement yesterday.
All three policemen said the police party went to Kraal on May 7, 2003 in search of Bashington Douglas, otherwise called 'Chen Chen' or 'Shortman'.
WARRANTS FOR SERIOUS CRIMES
They said there were warrants of arrest for Douglas for serious crimes such as murder and shooting with intent. When they went to the house, men on the premises shot at them and the police returned fire. Injured persons were found inside the house and a Winchester rifle and a Taurus pistol were recovered, the policemen said.
Lyons said after the shooting ended, he went in the house and saw a little girl who was unharmed.
Yesterday, he called United Kingdom forensic scientist Mark Mastaglio who said he conducted tests on bullet fragments. Mastaglio said that because of insufficient markings on the fragments he could not conclude that they were fired from a particular firearm which was labelled H....
Author: Barbara Gayle
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
