6 cops for murder trial

Senior Magistrate Debra Quintyne ruled in the Princes Town Magistrates’ Court that the evidence of former accused turned-State witness WPC Nicole Clement, could be tied to two other aspects of the prosecution’s evidence, which makes out a prima facie case on which a judge and jury should decide.

The six cops committed are: Ag Sergeant Khemraj Sahadeo, PCs Ronald Reviero, Glen Singh, Roger Nicholas, Safraz Juman and Antonio Ramdhin.

Quintyne committed the police officers after she overruled a no-case submission made by Senior Counsel Israel Khan, on behalf of the accused cops. Incidentally, yesterday was also the Director of Public Prosecution’s case against Clement before the same magistrate, who is charged with attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

Clement was originally charged with murder along with her six police colleagues, who were members of the Southern Robbery Squad. Johnson, 20, of Burton Trace, Moruga; Duncan, 28, of Duncan Village, near San Fernando; and Eccles, 26, of St Mary’s Village, Moruga, were shot and killed on July 22, at the corner of Gunness Trace and Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore, at about 9.45 pm. They were in a white Sentra motor car.

After the seven cops were charged with murder and had appeared on two occasions before Quintyne in the Preliminary Inquiry, Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard SC, discontinued the murder proceedings against Clement, in exchange for her testimony against her six colleagues.

However, she was slapped with the charge of perverting the course of justice. On the first occasion Clement appeared before Quintyne, she collapsed in the Princes Town Magistrates’ Court after she fainted when the magistrate was reading the murder charge.

When the inquiry got underway, several witness statements were tendered and some 34 witnesses were called by Gaspard, who was led by Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson for the prosecution. Clement, the star witness, gave a detailed account of her role in the shooting, as well as those of her colleagues, the accused.

Khan, instructed by attorney Celeste St Louis, cross-examined Clement. The highlight of her testimony was overshadowed by two video clips shown to the inquiring magistrate on a flat-screen television inside the courtroom, which depicted the scene of the killing, loud gun shots, and blaring police sirens..

For Quintyne’s decision yesterday, there was a heavy presence of police officers outside the courthouse, some in riot gear. The magistrate’s security was also noticeable, with a policeman seated next to the bench. Senior Supt Cecil Santana coordinated security around the courthouse for Gaspard, Peterson, Khan and members of the families of both the accused cops, and victims.

The six cops were brought into the courtroom at mid-morning and they all were dressed in a shirt and tie. Quintyne then dealt with Khan’s no-case. She said there were three categories of evidence, that of Clement who gave an eye-witness account, as well as another person. The name of that witness must not be called, but according to the magistrate, they corroborated each other. Quintyne dealt with the ballistic report on the bullet holes in the police vehicle and pointed to an inconsistency in the scientific analysis, as against the report made to the police station about the presence of the bullet holes.

Quintyne then made reference to evidence that two of the three victims could have still been alive at the Corner of Gunness and Rochard Douglas Road. She referred to Clement’s evidence of Johnson, Duncan and Eccles being taken to another road, though criticised by the defence, but supported by Crime Scene Investigators of what was found on the scene.

Quintyne said there was sufficient evidence that a jury, given proper directions in law by a judge, for a likely finding of guilty of murder. That is the test, an objective one, she added, that needed to occupy an inquiring magistrate to determine whether the cops should face a trial where the facts would be tested before a jury.

Each of the accused opted not to testify, or call witnesses, when the magistrate asked them.

Khan complimented Quintyne on her detailed analysis of the evidence, though he stated that he did not agree with it. Khan said, “In my 34 years of practice, I have never seen such detail and clinical analysis. It is an example other magistrates’ should follow.”

Relatives of the accused cops left the courthouse with their heads bent. One relative of the victims, shouted, “God doh sleep.”

Two hours later after the six cops were taken away, Clement was brought into the court for the hearing of the perverting the course of justice charge. Gaspard said that the prosecution was pursuing the matter via paper committal. Quintyne postponed the hearing to August 19.