Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
There was tight security yesterday at the Supreme Court for the trial of Senior Superintendent of Police Reneto Adams and five other policemen, charged with the murder of four civilians at Kraal, Clarendon, just over two years ago.
THERE WAS added security yesterday at the Supreme Court for the trial of Senior Superintendent of Police Reneto Adams and five other policemen, charged with the murder of four civilians at Kraal, Clarendon, just over two years ago.
A large number of jurors turned up for jury selection which lasted for nearly three hours. A 12-member jury, comprising seven women and five men, was selected to try the case which is estimated to last more than six weeks.
The prosecution has 45 witnesses at the back of the indictment but did not disclose how many witnesses would be called for the Crown.
'ABSOLUTELY NOT GUILTY'
The policemen all pleaded not guilty to the four counts of murder. When SSP Adams said in a loud voice "absolutely not guilty" while being pleaded on the first murder charge, Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe told him that all that was required of him was just to say not guilty.
"Do you know of any reason why you cannot try the case and return a true verdict according to the evidence?" the Chief Justice, who is presiding at the trial, asked the jurors.
Some said they had no reason but others gave various reasons why they could not sit on the case and were excused.
In response to the question, a male juror said: "I am in favour of the accused," which prompted the Chief Justice to say "run fast" as he excused him.
One male juror boldly answered: "I am presently unemployed and my thoughts are elsewhere," in response to the question. He was excused from sitting on the case but the Chief Justice told him that he would have to come to court every day.
JURORS EXCUSED
Two other jurors said they knew one of the accused policemen. One woman said she could not try the case because two of her relatives were murdered recently and she was not in any frame of mind to sit on the case.
Another woman said her niece was among the three women who were abducted by gunmen at a bar in Greenwich Town recently and her body was not found.
Kent Pantry, Q.C. , Director of Public Prosecutions, in outlining the Crown's case yesterday afternoon, explained the principle of common design which he said arose in the case to the jury.
He said the Crown intended to prove that a decision was taken to kill the persons in the house at Kraal, Clarendon, on May 7, 2003. He said the Crown intended to establish that the police did not kill the four civilians in self defence. He said the Crown was saying that no shots were fired from inside the house.
Mr. Pantry said the Crown was saying that after the civilians were killed there was a cover up to make it look like shots were fired from inside the house and disclosed that there was also the planting of evidence.
The other policemen on trial are: Corporal Patrick Coke, Constables Devon Bernard, Shane Lyons, Roderick Collier and Leford Gordon.
CROWN'S CASE
The Crown is alleging that on May 7, 2003, a police party led by SSP Adams, former head of the disbanded Crime Management Unit, went to Kraal in search of Bashington Douglas, otherwise called 'Chen Chen'. The policemen went to a house in the district where they allegedly killed Lewena Thompson, Angella Richards, Kirk Gordon and Matthew James.
Mr. Pantry said yesterday that Douglas, the four deceased and other person were on the verandah playing dominoes and talking when the police party came up and began firing at them. Douglas ran to the back of the house while others ran inside the house.
Witnesses will begin to testify today when the trial resumes.
