St James man faces court for death of Australian

MONTEGO BAY-A St James man is booked to face the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Wednesday, December 6, 2006 for the murder of an Australian national who was found dead in his hotel room three months ago.

Booked to appear in court on the capital charge is Adrian Forrester, a 32-year-old unemployed man of no fixed address in the parish.

Forrester is to stand trial for the fatal stabbing of 27-year-old Australian, Bryan Johnston who was found dead in his hotel room.

According to the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN), it is alleged that Forrester and Johnston had a dispute, during which the latter was killed.

The police also theorise that a woman had lured the Australian to the room where he was set upon by her waiting male accomplice.

Investigators say a fight ensued and Mr Johnston was stabbed in the head, chest and neck.

A man and a woman, who were also held in connection with the killing, are still in police custody.

Meanwhile, at the time Forrester who was picked up by the cops early last month, there was a bench warrant out for his arrest on an arson charge.

– Horace Hines

Dec 8 court date for cops who took out Bull Bay wanted man

The three police officers charged with the murder of wanted man, Noel Barnes in St Thomas over five years ago, will appear in the Home Circuit Court on December 8 for an expected trial date.

The three are constables Kirk Nunez and Lerone Witter, both of the Elletson Road Police Station and district constable Ukent Edward from the Bull Bay Police Station.

On August 27, 1999, Barnes allegedly went to hold up the Gypsum Quarry in St Thomas around 6:15 pm when he was spotted by a security guard on the compound.

In a gun battle with the guard, Barnes who was shot and injured, fled leaving a shotgun. He was hiding in nearby bushes, when the officers, who were on special assignment in the area, arrived on the scene.

Barnes allegedly opened fire on the cops who returned fire, fatally injuring him. Police said they recovered a handgun from Barnes who was previously wanted by the police for murder, rape, robbery and several shootings in and around the Bull Bay area.

When the officers were arrested and charged on February 5, 2003, their arrest sparked a massive demonstration by Bull Bay, St Andrew, residents who blocked roads, claiming that Barnes had been terrorising them for some time and that they were not safe while he was around.

– Paul Henry

Killers of cabbie wanted money for sneakers

Two 16-year-olds who made their living from robbing taxi operators in Spanish Town, St Catherine, are to be sentenced in the Home Circuit Court on December 6 for the murder of a 53-year-old cab driver.

The boys, the court was told, wanted the money to “attend a dance and buy sneakers”.

They recently pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the August 6 shooting death of Silbourne Kirkpatrick Huntley, a taxi operator who resided at Bridgeport in Portmore, St Catherine.

The court was told that the boys along with another youth took Huntley’s taxi, a Toyota Corolla station wagon at about 3:00 pm in Spanish Town, and when the car reached the vicinity of Central Village, a shot was heard and the boys were seen running from the vehicle. One boy was immediately held, leading to the arrest of the other on August 10. The third youth escaped. The youth never got any money from Huntley.

In their statement to the police, the boys confessed that their intention was to rob the victim when the weapon accidentally went off, shooting Huntley in the chest.

One of the boys confessed that he made $11,000 on one occasion, after robbing a taxi operator at knife point.

– Paul Henry

3 cops to face trial for 2001 killing of boat-builder

Three police officers attached to the Hunts Bay Police Station in Kingston are to face trial next year for the 2001 murder of a boat builder at his place of employment, along the Spanish Town Road.

Constable Rohan Blackwood and district constables Milton Ellison and Sylford Williams are to stand trial on March 15, 2007 at the Kingston Home Circuit Court for the June 8, 2001 shooting of Richard Williams, also called ‘Trewie’.

The date was set when the three men appeared in Court last week. A subpoena was also issued for an “uncooperative witness”, a retired police officer, to be brought before the court on December 8.

Allegations are that the accused – including a fourth cop, Sergeant Derrick Bailey, who is said to be on the run – went to the boat factory, Eagle Craft at 102 Spanish Town Road, to ascertain the whereabouts of a relative of Williams’ called ‘Bull’.

An argument developed during which the policemen allegedly used a piece of plank to beat Williams in the head, then severely assaulted Williams’ mother, causing her to be hospitalised when she attempted to intervene in her son’s beating. After the beating, Williams was allegedly dragged outside the factory and shot.

However, in their version of the incident, the police alleged that Williams brandished a gun and attacked them when he was shot. The cops further charged that Williams sustained his six head wounds when he fell inside a boat at the factory.

Constable Blackwood is also set to appear in court on December 15, charged with the January 6, 2001 shooting death of Olympic Garden resident, Patrick ‘Computer’ Brightly.

– Paul Henry

Two Courts looters plead guilty

PORT MARIA, St Mary – Two of the eight persons charged with looting the Courts furniture and appliance store here on November 23, pleaded guilty when they appeared in the Port Maria Resident Magistrate’s Court last Thursday.

One of the two, Mark Gocan, 21, of Frontier district in St Mary, was fined $150,000 or six months in jail, while the other, Dennis Jackson, 40, of Quebec in the parish, will return to court December 12 for sentencing.

Eight persons were charged last Saturday with break-in, larceny and receiving stolen property after the Courts store was looted during flooding in the town after the Octrum River overflowed its bank.

In the meantime, two of the remaining six persons in custody, have had the charge of office break-in and larceny dropped after two of the other accused told the court that the looted items found on their property were placed there by them.

The six persons still in custody have been granted bail in the sum of $250,000 each.

They are booked to return to court on December 12.