Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterFOUR FIREARMS and 29 rounds of ammunition, allegedly taken from the house where seven young men were shot and killed on March 14, 2001, were tendered into evidence yesterday as the Braeton trial continues.
Detective Corporal Karl Winston McFarlane admitted under cross-examination that the firearms were the ones that had been recovered from the house. He said the 29 cartridges found in a bed head in the house included M-16 cartridges, shotgun and .38 revolver cartridges.
After Detective Cpl. McFarlane identified the fire-arms and ammunition, defence lawyer Patrick Atkinson applied for them to be tendered in evidence.
Six policemen have been on trial in the Home Circuit Court since Monday for the murder of the seven men.
NO CALL FOR HELP
Deputy Superintendent Cornwall 'Bigga' Ford testified yesterday that he received information and went to the house at 1088 Fifth Seal Way, Braeton on March 14, 2001. He arrived there at 6:45 a.m. and said he did not hear anyone calling for help or saying they were going to be murdered.
He said when he went to the premises he went inside the house where he saw bullet holes in windows and on the wall of the house. He said he observed a curtain in front of the kitchen window. The curtain had bullet holes with blackening around the holes. He said he picked up 15 spent shells inside the house. DSP Ford said he removed the curtain, examined the kitchen window and found bullet holes on the window which indicated that shots were fired from both inside and out.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Lloyd McFarlane, DSP Ford said based on his experience and training, the blackening around the holes meant that shots were fired from inside. He said there was a wooden shack to the back of the premises. The number of pairs of shoes in the shack indicated that the premises was a small camp where people hang out.
ISSUED TO POLICEMAN
On being shown four firearms which were tendered in evidence yesterday, DSP Ford said that one of the firearms which was a .38 revolver was issued to a policeman. He said they had live rounds and spent shells in them when he received them.
The four firearms were allegedly recovered from the house at Braeton where seven young men were killed in a controversial shooting in the early morning of March 14, 2001.
Cross-examined by attorney-at-law Carolyn Reid, Deputy Supt. Ford said he instructed a police officer to take witnesses to the morgue at the Spanish Town Hospital. He said the reason for that was for the witnesses to see if they could identify any of the seven deceased as being involved in the murder of the principal of the Hartlands All-Age School, Keith Morris.
DSP Ford said under cross-examination by attorney-at-law Valerie Neita-Robertson that after he left the house at Braeton on the morning of March 14, 2001, he went to visit the shop and bar at Braeton main road where Morris was shot and killed. He said Morris was killed on the night of March 13, 2001. On being shown a photograph, DSP Ford said it showed the curtain in the kitchen and the blackening around the bullet holes. The photograph was tendered into evidence by the defence.
Cross-examined by defence lawyer Churchill Neita, Q.C., DSP Ford said there was a huge reduction in crime in Braeton and surrounding areas after March 14, 2001.
Dr. Ere Sheshia is to testify today at the trial of the six policemen who have been on trial in the Home Circuit Court since Monday.
