People's National Party activist, 59-year-old Milton 'Tony' Welsh, gave an unsworn statement yesterday denying that he murdered 22-year-old Damion Hussey, of Golden Spring, St. Andrew.

Welsh - who is a farmer and contractor of Brandon Hill, St. Andrew - has been on trial in the Home Circuit Court since last week Monday for Hussey's murder.

Prosecution witnesses testified at the trial that they saw Welsh, who is a Rastafarian, in Hussey's yard on January 15.

One witness, Elaine Gooden-Taffe, a practical nurse, said she knew Welsh for more than 20 years and that she saw when he stabbed Hussey.

Stones were thrown

The police had reported that some men were travelling in a bus, returning from a PNP rally for the official launch of the presidential campaign for Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips, when the bus reached Golden Spring and stones were thrown at the vehicle, which later stopped and a number of men alighted.

Welsh said in his unsworn statement that he attended the conference rally but after it ended, he and his young daughter stayed around for some time. He later drove home to Bull Bay, St. Andrew. "I don't know anything about any murder," Welsh stressed.

He added that he did not know any of the witnesses. He said the only time he had seen them was when they attended the identification parade and pointed him out in the cell.

He also spoke of being exposed when he was taken out of the cell and taken to Golden Spring. Welsh told the 12-member jury that everybody knew his political views.