MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A detective sergeant and King’s Counsel KD Knight engaged in a testy exchange in court on Thursday after the veteran attorney questioned the cop’s investigative competence.

The drama unfolded during the coroner’s inquest into the death of Mandeville businessman Jason Neil in 2018.

“Would you agree that the investigation was done by an incompetent sergeant?” Knight, who is representing Neil’s father, asked Detective Sergeant Pat Wallace

“I wouldn’t agree with anything you say, sir!” the detective responded, apparently angered by the question.

“Would you agree that you are a truthful witness?” Knight subsequently asked the detective.

Wallace repeated his previous response, “I wouldn’t agree with anything you say, sir!”

Neil, a proprietor in Neil Auto on Ward Avenue in Mandeville, was found shot in the bathroom of his house on Julie Drive in the upscale community of Ingleside.

Police reports are that on December 4, 2018 about 7:00 am, Neil’s then-pregnant wife heard an explosion, and when she went to investigate, he was allegedly seen on the floor with his licensed firearm beside him. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

Knight, in questioning the detective sergeant, sought to find out if he had ascertained whether Neil was right- or left-handed and if he had inquired if there were any surveillance cameras at the Ingleside home.

Wallace said he had asked Neil’s friends and relatives if he was right- or left-handed. He also responded “no, sir” to Knight’s question regarding surveillance cameras.

Knight also questioned Wallace as to why he requested hand swabbing for only Neil and his widow and not the other relatives who had reportedly arrived at the scene.

Wallace responded by questioning whether Knight was suggesting that hand swabbing be done for all who responded to the scene, including the police.

“Is that a facetious response?” Knight asked.

Attorney Christopher Honeywell, who is representing Neil’s widow, briefly questioned Wallace about the trajectory of a bullet in the bathroom at the Ingleside house.

Wallace told the court that Neil’s licensed firearm was seen inside a bathroom, with a magazine found inches away from it on the floor. He also said whoever discharged the weapon, in his estimation, was either sitting on the toilet seat or stooping near the toilet when it was fired.

Wallace also said he observed a circular burn mark on the right side of Neil’s head.

He also told the court that he had prepared a case file to be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for a ruling.

A 9mm Glock pistol; 18 9mm rounds; Neil’s identifications, including his driver’s licence, tax registration number, firearm user licence, and firearm certification, were presented as exhibits. Other exhibits included a ballistic certificate and post-mortem certificate.

The clerk of the court disclosed that the CD containing photographs from the scene was not received from the police’s scene of crimes unit, as it was not located.

The inquest is set to continue on October 3 when it is expected that the pathologist and ballistic expert in the matter will appear in court.