THE court was told yesterday that it was not until last week that the gun allegedly found in a house at Crawle, Clarendon was tested by a forensic scientist – more than two years after four people, including two women, were shot dead by the police.

Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams and five members of his disbanded Crime Management Unit (CMU) are on trial for the May 7, 2003 deaths of the four.

Consultant forensic scientist Dr Geoffery Rowe of London, England, testified yesterday that the first time he conducted an experiment on the gun was on November 15, 2005, when he saw the weapon in court.

Rowe, giving evidence in chief, told Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry that the case was allocated to him by manager of the Forensic Science Service in London. He subsequently received a basic account of the incident in a case file, which included copy statements from Detective Corporal Franklin Brown and Constable Joshua Black, a certificate from Sharon Brydson of the government forensic lab, a photo album of the scene from the police photo section and a video recording of CVM television coverage of the incident.

Rowe, a prosecution witness, testified that he viewed the video and directed the London lab to print two still photos from the footage with a rifle lying on the floor in what was believed to be a smear track of blood.

The purpose of this, Rowe testified, was to determine whether evidence of blood on the floor supported the allegation that a bleeding body was dragged across the floor, and whether the rifle and cartridge case reached final position before or after the blood smear on the floor.

Pantry pursued questions about the rifle with answers flowing from Rowe, but defence attorney Jacqueline Samuels-Brown objected to his testimony, arguing that the examination of the firearm was done two years after the incident occurred.

“Last week the defence wanted to interview all expert witnesses. So the integrity of this so-called experiment is called into question. If he is giving evidence in terms of a fact, it must be given factually and not given as an hypothesis. It must be factual. This is not relevant and has no nexus,” Samuels-Brown submitted.

Trial judge Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe agreed and said he was unable to see the purpose of the evidence being solicited. Pantry then withdrew, saying he would not pursue the question.

Meanwhile, Justice Wolfe ordered the prosecution to ensure that Shanice Stoddart returns to court today to complete her testimony.

Shanice, the 11 year-old schoolgirl who is being held in the witness protection programme abroad, completed her evidence in chief last Wednesday and the defence began cross-examination when she fell sick. Court was adjourned for her to return on Thursday but she did not show up, and no excuse for her absence was sent to the court.

Yesterday, the judge enquired of her whereabouts and told the court he hoped she would testify today.

“.Let it be understood that it will be tomorrow (today) morning. We need to complete her testimony,” said Justice Wolfe.

– whytetk@jamaicaobserver.com