Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The United Kingdom Privy Council has said in its written reasons that Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry, Q.C., was justified in his decision not to prosecute the three policemen implicated in the fatal shooting of Patrick Genus in December 1999.

The policemen reported that Genus, 26, and another man who were travelling on a motorcycle in Kingston fired at them and they returned the fire. The policemen said they recovered the firearm which Genus had but, the other man escaped.

The DPP took the decision not to prosecute the policemen. Leonie Marshall, the mother of the deceased, who was supported by lobby group Jamaicans For Justice, took the issue to court seeking judicial review of the DPP's decision. She lost her legal battle in the local courts.

Promise to give reasons

She appealed to the Privy Council which in November last year dismissed the appeal and promised to give its reasons in writing at a later date.

The Privy Council, in its reasons which were handed down yesterday, said the "possibility of mounting a successful prosecution of any of the police officers by disproving that defence beyond reasonable doubt was minimal and the DPP was justified in deciding not to bring such a prosecution".