THE SIX policemen charged with the murder of seven youths in a house in Braeton, St. Catherine on March 14, 2001 appeared in the Home Circuit Court yesterday and were ordered to return on February 13 when a trial date will be fixed.
Justice Donald McIntosh extended their bail and instructed that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions serve copies of the statements in the case on the policemen.
When the policemen appeared before the court, Paula Llewellyn, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, said that because their legal representation was not settled, the statements which numbered about 1,000 pages were not served on the lawyers.
K. Churchill Neita, Q.C., one of the lawyers in the case, told the court that there were five lawyers in the case but they had not yet decided who would be representing whom because the statements had not been served on them.
CHARGED WITH YOUTHS' MURDERS
The judge then suggested that the statements be served on the officers and a mention date set for them to return to court.
Following the judge's suggestion, the statements were served on the policemen yesterday afternoon.
The six policemen are Sergeant Raymond Miller, Constables Leighton Bucknor, Miguel Ebanks, Devon Bernard and Corporals Leighton Bucknor and Wayne Constantine. They are on bail in the sum of $2 million each with sureties.
They are charged with the murders of Christopher Grant, Andre Virgo, Lancebert Clarke, Curtis Smith, Dane Whyte, Tamoya Wilson and Reagan Beckford arising from a controversial shooting on March 14, 2001.
A Coroner's jury had returned a six to four majority verdict last year that no one was criminally responsible for the deaths.
However, the DPP reviewed the depositions and ruled that the policemen should each be charged with seven counts of murder.
