SENIOR prosecutor Dirk Harrison yesterday labelled the defence’s case “a side show” as he continued his address to jurors in the murder trial of the three policemen charged with the murder of two abducted men.

Harrison said that the defence’s case did not cut to the heart of the matter and urged jurors to return a verdict of guilty.

“The police officers killed the [men],” Harrison said.

Harrison also urged jurors to not throw out the case if some things did not add up.

The case was yesterday adjourned until after the Christmas holiday and will resume on December 27 when Harrison is to continue his address followed by two of three defence attorneys.

Deborah Martin, who is representing accused Corporal Paul Edwards, had completed her address on Wednesday at the end of the defence’s case.

Edwards, along with Assistant Superintendent Victor Barrett and Corporal Louie Lynch are being tried in the Home Circuit Court with the murder of Kemar Walters and Oliver Duncan, who were abducted from Washington Plaza, along Washington Boulevard, on December 23, 2004.

The prosecution is contending that Edwards and Lynch plotted to murder the men and that Barrett covered up the crime.

On Wednesday, Lynch and Barrett professed their innocence and described the prosecution’s main witness as a liar. Lynch choked up towards the end of his unsworn statement from the prisoner’s dock as he spoke of how being charged has resulted in the lives of his family being placed in danger.

He said that criminals who have been imprisoned because of his undercover work have found out about his identity.

“[The witness] is a liar. I was not on the Washington Plaza and I know nothing about Walters and Duncan. I would not have risked my unblemished career in exposing myself in that way,” said the 40-year-old Lynch.

He said that on the day that Walters and Duncan went missing he spent all day with the leadership of a Corporate Area gang, an assignment that took him to a rural parish. He said he got home at 10:30 that night.

Lynch, who has been with the constabulary for 15 years, said his intelligence from that day led to a thwarted robbery shortly after and the recovery of two firearms, ammunition, drugs and a ballistic vest.

“I’m not a part… of any abduction,” Lynch said as he denied the allegations made by the main witness, who was a part of the Gang Intelligence Unit that was led by Barrett.

In his unsworn statement, Barrett, 42, said the main witness told lies on him out of malice and that he was on trial because he refused to participate in a “scheme” by former Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields to lie on his colleagues.

He painted the prosecution’s main witness as a vindictive man who wanted to get back at him for not helping to advance his career.

Barrett said that on the day the men went missing he did not speak with the prosecution’s main witness on the phone, nor did he meet with him at the offices of the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID), as is being claimed. He said he was not involved in a cover up nor did he dictate a false statement to the witness or anyone.

According to Barrett, the witness became “bitter and malicious toward” him when he told him that he could not facilitate his promotion and when he refused to help him secure a gun licence. Barrett said the witness was being investigated for various forms of corruption.

Barrett said the witness was further embittered after he spoke to him about bringing civilians to OCID’s offices.

As it relates to Shields, Barrett said that the former deputy commissioner sent a senior officer to him in 2008 in order to get him to write a statement implicating Lynch and Edwards but that he refused.

He said that in June 2009, Shields summoned him to his office and told him that the director of public prosecutions had ruled that he be charged with perverting the course of justice. He said Shields told him that Superintendent Dean Taylor would speak with him. Barrett said that an half-hour later Taylor escorted him to the Horizon Remand Centre and told him that Shields said if he resigned from the force he would not be charged. He said he told Taylor to charge him because he knew nothing about the incident.

Barrett said that after 15 days in the maximum security section of the centre Shields and Taylor visited. Shields, he said, told him to come on his side and write a statement implicating Lynch and Edwards.

Barrett said he told Shields no and that the fabrication of a witness statement was a criminal offence. He said Shields became red in the face and said he gave him an opportunity. He said Shields further told him that there were two doors, one to freedom and the other to prison.

“Mr Foreman and ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” Barrett said, “I leave these words with you: A good heart is better than all the heads in the world.”

Also on Wednesday, Lynch and Barrett called witnesses who gave evidence of their good character. The witnesses also vouched for Edwards, who last Friday gave his unsworn statement denying any involvement in the murders.

Former Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas was called by Lynch, while Barrett called retired Assistant Commissioner Granville Gauze.