Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterA CIVILIAN witness testified yesterday that he had seen five of the seven young men alive and under full police control before they were killed at a location in Braeton four years ago.
Delroy Ledley, one of two civilian witnesses to have been issued a warrant of arrest on Monday, testified that about 3:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 14, 2001, he heard young men screaming for help in the pathway at 1088 Fifth Seal Way, Braeton, St. Catherine.
MEN WERE SHOUTING FOR HELP
The witness said the men were shouting "Mr. Corpie, help," prompting him to secretly climb on the ledge of his verandah in the direction from which the sounds were coming.
It was coming, he said, from the direction of the house at Lot 1088 Fifth Seal Way. He said he saw about five young men outside in the pathway and in the company of men who appeared to be policemen. He said the young men were on the ground but he did not know what positions they were in.
Mr. Ledley was testifying in the Home Circuit Court at the trial of the six policemen charged with the murder of seven young men in a house at Braeton on March 14, 2001. He, along with another witness, had refused to show up for court on Monday, forcing the trial judge to issue arrest warrants.
When Ledley appeared in court yesterday, he was reluctant at first to testify. He began saying to the prosecutor when he was being examined that "I told you Ms. Llewellyn, I am not interested," but he was stopped by a question from Justice Donald McIntosh.
Judge: You are in your house in a bedroom what is the next thing that happened?
Witness: Well, I heard a loud noise outside, Sir in the pathway.
Ledley told the court that he heard a policeman telling the young men that they were the ones who had killed a policeman and a teacher the night before. He said one of the guys replied, "Me officer, me officer, how mi fi go kill police and mi brother
a police?"
After that he said he heard gunshots and the guys continued calling, "Mr. Corpie, Mr. Corpie, Mr. Corpie, you nuh see dem a kill we off, help, help."
The witness, who lived one house away from 1088 Seal Way, said he went back inside and while there, he heard a barrage of gunshots.
When it was daylight, the witness said he went outside and saw policemen putting
bodies from 1088 Seal Way into police jeeps. It was then about 6:45 a.m. and the witness said he heard a sound coming from 1088 Seal Way. Someone there was screaming, "People, people, help!"
ONE MAN NOT YET DEAD
He and other residents tried to approach the house but were prevented by the police. After that, he said he heard policemen saying that one of the men was not yet dead and then there was a barrage of shots.
The witness said he was at his gate with other persons when Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams came to where they were. SSP Adams said: "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. These are the weapons that we took off the crime scene." He said Adams was pointing to the weapons. SSP Adams said that one of the weapons belonged to the policeman who had been killed at the Above Rocks Police S station and one had been used to shoot the teacher the night before.
