Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterTHIRTY FOUR witnesses will be called by the Crown to help prove the case against the six policemen charged with the murder of seven young men in Braeton, St. Catherine, just under four years ago.
Yesterday, a jury was empanelled in the Home Circuit Court to try the controversial case.
Those charged are Corporal Leighton Bucknor, constables Miguel Ebanks, Devon Bernard, Wayne Constantine, Linroy Edwards and Raymond Miller.
CONTROVERSIAL KILLINGS
They are charged with the murder of Christopher Grant, Andre Virgo, Lancebert Clarke, Curtis Smith, Dane Whyte, Tamoya Wilson and Regan Beckford arising from the controversial killings on March 14, 2001.
The jury selection took more than two hours and although more than 100 jurors were summoned, the challenges and excuses resulted in the panel being short of two jurors. Mr. Justice Donald McIntosh had to suggest to the lawyers to confer among themselves and select two of the jurors who were challenged.
MUCH LAUGHTER
There was much laughter in court yesterday when a juror when asked to "go ahead" meaning he should read the oath, shouted "challenged". The judge after asking him if he felt challenged, excused him from jury duty.
Two potential jurors were excused by the judge after they admitted in response to questions by the judge that they knew persons connected with the case. There was no response when the judge asked if there were potential jurors who had pre-conceived judgment about the case.
In outlining the Crown's case to the 12-member jury comprising seven women and five men, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, said the Crown was alleging that the policemen were not acting in lawful self-defence when they allegedly shot and killed the seven men. She said more than 40 shots were fired and all the men succumbed to the injuries.
MURDER SUSPECT
Miss Llewelyn said there might be evidence that one of the deceased was a suspect in the murder case of a policeman at the Above Rocks Police Station in St. Andrew. However, Miss Llewellyn cautioned that until there was a trial and a subsequent conviction, the deceased would only have been a suspect.
The policemen are on bail in the sum of $2 million each with sureties.
