October trial for cop charged with teenager’s murder
CONSTABLE Rushon Hamilton, the cop charged with murdering 14-year-old student, Jhaneel Goulbourne will stand trial in October.
An October 5 trial date was set when Hamilton appeared in the Home Circuit Court last Friday.
According to attorney Peter Champagnie, a bail application will be made on Hamilton’s behalf in the interim.
Hamilton has been behind bars since November 2008, days after the teenager was kidnapped by armed men at her gate in Harbour View, East Kingston.
She has not been heard from since, neither was her body found.
Hamilton was slapped with a charge of carnal abuse after the child told officers at the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse that he had carnally abused her in the barrack room of the Elletson Road Police Station, the headquarters of the Kingston East Police Division.
The cop was also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, after police received reports that he attempted to coerce the child into changing her original statement.
Rachel Roberts, who police said is Hamilton’s spouse, was arrested and charged in connection with Jhaneel’s disappearance.
Another police officer, Constable Michael McDonald, who was allegedly implicated in the matter was later released.
The Crown plans to proceed first with the murder case against the cop, after which the carnal abuse case will be tried.
According to the prosecution, Hamilton is said to have confessed to two of his cellmates that he killed the girl.
The prosecution said it also has information that placed Hamilton in the vicinity at the time the teen was snatched from her home.
