Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

Spanish Town, St. Catherine:

A man who the police claim has been wanted for two years for the killing of a witness appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday on charges of conspiracy to murder and murder and was granted bail in the sum of $100,000.

The man, Patrick Brown, of August Town district in Bog Walk, was said to have been the man who attacked and killed Omar Holness on March 25, 2005, one day before he was scheduled to continue his deposition in court against persons charged with the murder of his mother, Carlene Dickson, who was shot and killed earlier that year.

According to Detective Corporal Winston Radcliffe, of the Bog Walk Police Station, ever since the 39-year-old labourer found out he was wanted by the police, he has proven elusive and it was not until December 15 last year, when Brown was involved in an accident, that he was held by the police after a chase on foot.

Attorney concerned

The defence attorney, Sean Kinghorn, told Resident Magistrate Lorna Errar Gayle that it was very strange that his client was now being charged as, during the investigation, he had gone to the police station and even to the Supreme Court where relatives were being tried. He also called as his witness attorney-at-law Christopher Townsend who agreed with Mr. Kinghorn that something was strange about the case.

The policeman, however, told the court that it was only because the accused had proven hard to catch that it took so long. The clerk of the court made mention of several prior endorsements of a warrant to apprehend Brown.

Brown will return to court on March 1, when the case will again be mentioned.