Court approves new evidence for old trial
August 03, 2007
The Court of Appeal has given the go-ahead for a prisoner, who was convicted in 1994 of four counts of murder, to call fresh evidence in his attempt to gain his freedom.
Patrick Taylor, 34, who was a taxi driver when he was charged in 1992, is relying on the evidence of two prisoners who were convicted with him of the murders.
The prisoners are Taylor's brother, Desmond Taylor, 39, and Steve Shaw, also 39.
Attorney-at-law Jack Hines is representing Patrick Taylor and the Court of Appeal has directed that the three prisoners be taken to court when a date has been set for the fresh evidence to be heard.
The two prisoners have admitted in their affidavits that they fatally chopped Orrett Peddlar, his common-law wife Marion Wright, 15-year-old Matthew Nelson and six-year-old Useph Peddlar. They said in the affidavits that Patrick Taylor was not present when they committed the offences.
The four were ambushed and chopped to death at Lottery district in St. James on March 18, 1992.
Desmond Taylor was charged with assaulting Orrett Peddlar, and the day before the court case the four family members were fatally chopped.
Life imprisonment
The three men, who were convicted in July 1994, are each serving sentences of life imprisonment and will have to serve 35 years before they can be eligible for parole.
The three men appealed to the United Kingdom Privy Council which in 1996 dismissed their appeals against their convictions and death sentences.
The Court of Appeal re-sentenced them in 2000.
Patrick Taylor said tha he had always maintained that he was innocent, he was not able to bring fresh evidence before this year. He said in his affidavit that the scariest days of his life were when he was taken to the condemned cell.
Author: Gleaner Reporter
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
