Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
'ZEKES'
THE MAIN witness in the double murder case against well-known Matthews Lane resident 48-year-old Donald 'Zekes' Phipps has received two death threats since he gave his statement to the police.
Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, made the disclosure yesterday when she told the court that the Crown was opposing bail for Phipps.
Mrs. Justice Marva McIntosh, after hearing a bail application from defence lawyers K. Churchill Neita, Q.C., and Lloyd McFarlane, turned down the bail application. The judge ordered Phipps and his co-accused Garfield Williams, 33, to return to the Home Circuit Court on November 2 when the case will be mentioned.
BAIL DENIED AGAIN
Yesterday was the third time that Phipps was denied bail since he was charged in May. Williams is on bail in the sum of $1 million with one surety.
They are charged jointly with the murder of Rodney Leroy Farquharson and Dayton Williams also called 'Scotchbrite,' of Bayshore Park, eastern Kingston .
The burnt bodies of the two men were discovered on April 15 in an open lot at Rose Lane near Matthews Lane, downtown Kingston. The bodies had gunshot wounds to the head.
The case was set for trial yesterday but Ms. Llewellyn applied for an adjournment. She said she had been given the file just last week Friday. She said she perused the file and was given instructions concerning certain documents in the case. She said the defence had received approximately 90 per cent of the documents but other documents which were of a technical nature, involving telephone calls, were not ready.
In applying for bail, Mr. Neita said Phipps had strong community ties, and a settled place of abode and stressed that his children were suffering because of his incarceration. He said that Phipps' health had deteriorated since he was in custody.
Ms. Llewellyn said the prosecution was opposing bail and revealed that the main witness in the case had received death threats. She pointed out that the murders had been committed while Phipps was on bail on a possession of ammunition charge. Ms. Llewellyn said the Crown was relying on a conversation which was alleged to have taken place on April 15 between Phipps and a certain gentleman. She told the court that a British chartered forensic engineer was dealing with the analysis of the telephone calls.
In outlining the allegations in detail, Ms. Llewellyn said the witness, in relation to the voice identification, was someone who had allegedly spoken to Phipps on many occasions both on the telephone and in person. The witness, had known Phipps for about 10 years.
ALLEGATIONS
She said the allegations were that when Farquharson's cellular telephone was dialled, Phipps allegedly answered the telephone and told the witness that he "should listen to Rodney for the last time as it is the last time you will hear his voice."
Ms. Llewellyn said the witness who also knew Rodney said Rodney came on the phone and said "Boss, Boss", in a low voice. Ms. Llewellyn said that it was later that same morning that the bodies were found. She said the scientific analysis of the cell site activities confirmed that Farquharson's cellphone was called by the main witness and friends at 3:00 a.m. on April 15 and confirmed also that the telephone was answered in the vicinity of Matthews Lane.
The allegation against the accused Williams was that a voice which sounded like his was heard in the background, Ms. Llewellyn added.
