By Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterACCUSED ASHLEY Ricketts said in a cautioned statement that while transporting some men in his taxi to the office of attorney-at-law Shirley Playfair, on the day she was murdered, he heard the men saying that a "big man" had given them "the work".
Ricketts said in the statement that about 10:50 a.m. on April 13, 2000 he was taking 'MN' and Dwayne 'Amin' Williams to Seymour Park, Kingston 10, when he heard the men saying, "A big man give dem de work and dem have fi get a big money off it."
He said that 'MN' asked Amin what was the name of the woman from whom they collected money when "dem go up Seymour Park" and Amin said the woman was 'CR'.
The Crown is alleging at the trial which began last week Monday in the Home Circuit Court, that Mrs. Playfair, 60, was in her office at Seymour Park, 2 Seymour Avenue, Kingston 10, on April 13, 2000 when some men went there and slashed her throat. It is further alleged that Ricketts had transported the men in his blue Datsun motor car to Mrs. Playfair's office.
On trial are Ramone 'Fudgie' Drysdale, 26, of Metcalfe Road, Kingston 13; Ashley 'Jerry' Ricketts, 50, taxi driver, of Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 13; and Annette Livingston, 40, who was Mrs. Playfair's secretary for 19 years up to the time of the murder. Williams is also charged with the murder but he escaped from police custody on April 22, 2002.
Ricketts gave cautioned statements to the police on April 13 and 19, 2000. His statement of April 19, 2000 was admitted in evidence yesterday and read to the court by Senior Supt. G. C. Grant, who Ricketts had asked to write the statement for him.
In the statement, Ricketts said that about 7:30 a.m. on April 13, Kevin and Amin asked him to take them to Seymour Park and he told them that the fare was $200. He said that sometime before he had carried Mark and Shane to Seymour Park to see a woman called 'CR'.
He said they showed him CR and she always came to them at the car and gave them envelope with money in it. Ricketts said he saw CR at the police station on April 19, 2000 and he told the police that he always carried Mark and Shane to CR and she usually give them envelope with money. Ricketts said that every time the men got money from CR, he got $1,000 to carry them. He said he asked Mark who was
CR and he said she was his girl.
He said that April 13, 2000 was the first time he took a man called Kevin and Amin to Seymour Park. On the way, Kevin said, "Dem a diss we because a we must get the money off the work which the big man give we fi mash." He said Kevin asked Amin the name of the girl and he said CR. He said he took them to Seymour Park about 8:30 a.m. on April 13, 2000. Amin went upstairs to the lawyer's office and Kevin stayed in the car. Amin returned saying that CR said the lady did not come as yet so they should come back about 11:30 a.m.
Ricketts said he drove them back to the corner of Metcalfe Road, the same place where the police held them later that day. The men told him to come back for them in half-an-hour. He said the men came back about 10:50 a.m. and at that time MN got into the car with Amin but Kevin did not go back with them. While on the way he said he heard Amin saying that "a big man give dem de work and dem have fi get a big money off it". MN asked the name of the woman who they checked when they went to Seymour Park and Amin said the woman was CR. Ricketts said he drove up to the gate at Seymour Park about a little after 11 a.m. and parked beside the building where he could see when the men were going up the stairs to the lawyer's office.
He said that Amin and MN came out of the car and went upstairs. About five minutes later they returned and said, "Drive, Jerry".
Ricketts told the police that he noticed that "the two of them blood up" and "the two of them have knife with blood on it". He said he had seen CR at Seymour Park on April 13, 2000 and she had on red blouse and red skirt. He said he was sure it was CR who Amin went to and was sure she was the one he saw at the police station that day - April 19, 2000. He said that while going down Maxfield Avenue they were stopped by police and soldiers. The men did not want him to stop but he told them he had to stop. MN jumped out of the car and ran and the police fired a shot in the air and MN stopped. Ricketts said the police asked him where he was coming from and he told them Hope Road. He said the police took off the "blood-up clothes" off Amin and MN.
Cross-examined by attorney-at-law George Soutar who represents Ricketts, Senior Supt. Grant said he found Ricketts to be co-operative.
Frank Phipps, Q.C., who represents Livingston, suggested to SSP Grant during cross-examination that it was after Livingston failed to identify anyone at the parade on April 19, 2000 that a second statement was taken from Ricketts, and Livingston was taken into custody. The witness said he did not know if it was after the parade that she was taken into custody but he took a statement from Ricketts between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on April 19, 2000. Mr. Phipps suggested to the witness that it was not true that Ricketts had pointed out anyone to him while he was interviewing Ricketts at the police station. The witness said that Livingston and two police officers came into the office and Ricketts said something. He said Livingston was about four yards away at the time.
Drysdale is being represented by attorney-at-law Sylvester C. Morris.
The trial resumes on Monday before Justice Kay Beckford and the jury.
