Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The man who was convicted on Thursday for the murder of 56-year-old businessman and Justice of the Peace Winston Chin and his 50-year-old wife Aileen is to be sentenced on November 21.

The 12-member jury retired for four hours at the end of the six-week trial and convicted 32-year-old Christopher Edgehill, labourer, of Annotto Bay, St Mary.

Godfrey Williams, cellphone technician and Cecil Wright, 30, labourer, both of Annotto Bay are to face a new trial. They were charged jointly with Edgehill but the jury deliberated for almost eight hours and failed to arrive at a verdict. They have been remanded to return to court on November 14.

Shot several times

Justice Carol Beswick presided at the trial in the Home Circuit Court.

The couple who operated Penny's Supermarket in Annotto Bay, were shot several times during a robbery at their home at Bellfield, near Highgate, St Mary on July 3, 2004.

The Crown represented by Diahann Gordon Harrison, acting deputy director of public prosecutions and Sanchia Burrell, Crown Counsel, relied on circumstantial evidence and common design to prove its case against the three men.

A witness testified in the Home Circuit Court that the day before the Chins were murdered, he heard the three accused planning to rob them. The day after the Chins were murdered the witness said he saw the men sharing bags of money.

A licensed firearm belonging to Mr Chin was recovered from Edgehill's home on July 5, 2004. Evidence was also given that, about 8 p.m. on July 3, 2004, Mr Chin came out of his motor vehicle and was about to open his gate when he was shot nine times. Eight of the injuries were to the neck.

Mrs Chin came out of the motor vehicle and began to run and she was shot several times.

Confession

The police testified that Edgehill gave a confession statement outlining his role in the murder. It was Edgehill's confession which led to the recovery of Mr Chin's firearm. The firearm was wrapped in a blouse belonging to Edgehill's girlfriend.

The girlfriend was called as a Crown witness and, when she was shown the blouse, she told the court it belonged to her.

A defence lawyer who was called to testify for the Crown said he represented Edgehill when the confession statement was given to the police. The lawyer said he advised Edgehill of his legal rights before he gave the statement but Edgehill said he wanted to do so.

In his defence, Edgehill denied giving the statement. He said he was given a blank sheet of paper to sign. He said he had nothing to do with the murder.

The other two men said in their defence that they were not involved in the murder.