FLOYD SMITH, 42-year-old juice vendor, of 8 St. Raphael Street, Kingston 2, has been freed of the murder of Phyllis Jones, who was stabbed several times at her home at 25 Oliver Road, Kingston 2.
The Crown led evidence that about 1.30 a.m. on May 18, 2004, Jones was heard crying for "murder, murder" and her boyfriend went to her home and saw the accused using a knife to stab her.
The accused was placed on an identification parade but the deceased's boyfriend pointed out someone else as the person he saw stabbing the deceased. Smith was subsequently charged with murder.
Cross-examined by attorney-at-law Peter Champagnie who represented Smith, the witness said he was not able to identify the accused because the men on the identification parade all had toothpaste on their faces.
He said when he saw the accused on the night of the incident he had braided hair. The witness admitted that he used to be a cocaine addict but had stopped taking cocaine at the time of the murder.
The accused denied killing Jones and called a witness who said that the day before the incident, the accused had taken a photograph and he had low cut hair at that time.
The jury retired for three and a half hours before returning the not guilty verdict.
Mr. Justice Leighton Pusey (acting) presided at the trial.
