‘I never intended to shoot anyone’

“I NEVER intended to shoot anyone,” declared Special Reserve Police Constable Nicholas Leith in a statement to the police, three days after he allegedly shot and killed Diego Martin teen Aneisha Neptune, while attempting to arrest her for using obscene language. Leith also told the police that he was trying to avoid being hit by a stone when he heard an explosion. Mary Molly, who was struggling with him, let him go, went towards Aneisha and said to him, “you shoot my daughter.” The statement, recorded on May 4, 2000, formed part of the evidence of acting Senior Superintendent Lennox Gonzales, in the trial in which Leith is charged with manslaughter in the May 1, 2000, shooting death of Aneisha Neptune.

Leith allegedly shot and killed Aneisha a stone’s throw from the Four Roads Police Station just minutes after he told her she was under arrest for using obscene language. The statement recorded by Gonzales was read to the members of the jury by High Court Judge Carlton Best. In the statement, Leith said that he left the Four Roads Police Station at around 10.15 pm to visit the service station to inquire about a man he knew. He waited for about three minutes then left. When he arrived at the Diego Martin Main Road, he heard someone cursing and realised it was Aneisha. 

He identified himself and told her she was under arrest for using obscene language. However, she continued to curse and carry on. He held her hand and they started to struggle. Mary Molly held on to his hands and Aneisha got away and ran across the road. They started to struggle and during this he felt something hit his neck and looked up to see Aneisha with a stone. Mary Molly started to bite him and tried to get his gun from his pocket. They struggled and the gun ended up in his hand. Aneisha threw a stone at him, he raised his right hand to block his face and ducked left and that was when he heard an explosion. Mary Molly released him, ran to Aneisha and said to him “you shoot my daughter.” He went over to where Aneisha was and directed the officers, who had arrived on the scene, to arrest Mary Molly. He explained, “I did not intend to shoot anyone.” Gonzales also told the court that he visited the scene of the incident and observed that the lighting in the area was good.

Under cross-examination by defence attorney SC Israel Khan, Gonzales described Leith as a very disciplined officer, who worked hard. When asked about crime scene preservation, Gonzales explained that he could not say what was done to preserve the crime scene. In his evidence, Assistant Senior Superintendent in charge of the Anti-Corruption Unit, Maurice Piggott, explained that he received a directive from the DPP on June 12, 2000, to investigate the matter. He gathered the information that was already collected and interviewed the witnesses in the matter. He said he visited the Four Roads Community Police Facility, where WPC Charmaine King pointed out certain things to him. He explained that his view was unobstructed from the upstairs window and that the area was well lit.