‘Machine gun Kelly’ killed

His killing has put the trial in jeopardy according to state attorney Kathy Ann Waterman who yesterday told Justice Rajendra Narine in the Port- of-Spain Criminal Court that “without Denoon it would be difficult to proceed with the case.”

Denoon was the main witness for the prosecution in the trial of two men, Kareen Baptiste and Aaron Worrell who are accused of the murder of Oba Jones. Jones was gunned down on the Brian Lara Promenade on April 21, 2005.

It is alleged that Baptiste and Worrell were part of a gang of men who chased Jones from a commercial bank on Independence Square onto the Promenade and shot him at point blank range.

Police reports indicate that Jones was already fatally wounded when one of the gang took away Jones’ gun and shot him several times as he lay on the ground. Baptiste and Worrell were picked up by police at City Gate shortly after.

Their trial was fixed for Monday, but yesterday when the matter came up before Narine, the court was informed of Kelly’s murder. Immediately another state witness was placed in protective custody.

Denoon, 35, described as the leader of the Mark Guerra gang, of John John, reportedly was shot dead after an argument with a member concerning his evidence in the Jones trial.

Denoon had indicated that he would not cooperate with the police, but minutes after while walking on Foster Circular Road he was confronted by a gunman and shot several times in the chest. He was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police, led by Acting Inspector Sahadeo Singh, cordoned off the area and acting on a tip-off arrested a 25-year-old man of John John. The man’s clothing was seized and his hands tested for gun powder residue. The man’s father is said to be also on a murder charge. Investigators carried out a search for the murder weapon in bushes close to the murder scene but it was not found.

Denoon was described by police yesterday as a “career criminal.”

They added that he was a hired hitman and was wanted for several gang related murders.

He had been the right hand man of Guerra who was killed in March 2003. Yesterday the murder toll stood at 349.