A superintendent of police who is a forensic ballistics expert on Tuesday testified, in the trial of six cops accused of murder, about the methods used to determine if a specific gun was fired.

The superintendent is the latest witness to take the stand in the Home Circuit Court in relation to the January 12, 2013 shooting deaths of Matthew Lee, Ucliffe Dyer and Mark Allen. He told the court that he has been a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for the past 16 years and a forensic practitioner for almost 19 years.

On trial for murder are Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, along with constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch. Corporal Fullerton is also charged with making a false statement to the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom).

The seven members of the jury heard that a computerised system is used to capture microscopic images of ammunition and related components, which include bullets and cartridge cases. The computerised system would be prompted to do a correlation with those images and previous images that were entered in the system data.

“The system suggests potential matches with those submitted images and images from previous scenes. I then would analyse those images to determine if any of those suggested matches were in fact a confirmed match, so essentially I use the system to help to determine whether mainly spent casing from crime scene are connected to or discharged from the same firearm,” the witness explained.

“Inside the firearms have microscopic imperfections. When a firearm is being manufactured, the tool has microscopic imperfections that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Machine shaves off metal while manufacturing the tool. Each tool will get imparted with random microscopic markings. The imperfections on every component manufactured would be unique or specific, therefore no two firearms will have the same imperfections. Those marks are referred to as the ballistics finger print,” the ballistics expert added.

However he did not get a chance to delve into the details surrounding the specific shooting incident involving the six policemen accused of murder, as trial Judge Sonia Bertram Linton, prosecutors and defence attorneys had to discuss an issue grounded in law. Where issues having to do with the law arise, it is customary that the jury and witnesses be excused from these discussions, which was the case on Tuesday.

Attorneys Hugh Wildman, John Jacobs and Althea Grant-Coppin are representing the six cops.

On Monday, the post-mortem reports for Lee, Dyer and Allen were read out for the seven-member jury and the documents revealed that each of the men were shot at least four times in different places on their bodies during an alleged shootout with the police.

Although the cops contend that they were attacked and acted in self-defence, they were subsequently charged with murder in relation to the incident.

A forensic pathologist noted in a post mortem report that the body of Dyer, who was a 24-year-old resident of Grant’s Pen in St Andrew and who was an alleged don in the area, was observed with at least seven gunshot wounds.

Allen, who was 30 years old and a resident of Grant’s Pen had several gunshot wounds, according to the report. The pathologist noted that Allen had a scalp injury which consisted of a blowout skull fracture on the right side. The report also noted that his brain and cranial cavity were exposed.

In relation to Lee, his post mortem report stated that he was found lying on his back.

The report stated that Lee had a subcutaneously placed through-and-through bullet injury to his right upper arm. There was one entrance wound on the dorsal aspect of right hand with an exit wound at the base of the thumb.

The trial continues on Wednesday.