ONE OF the two men charged with the murder of Manchester couple Richard and Julia Lyn expressed his desire to give a written statement two days after he showed the police where the bodies had been dumped.

Detective Sergeant Colin Mc-Kenzie testified last week that, on December 29, 2006, 27-year-old garbage-truck driver, Calvin Powell, of New Green, Manchester, took the police to the Martin's Hill dump, Manchester, and showed them the bodies.

Powell, who is also called Kevin, is charged jointly with 28-year-farmer and taxi driver Lennox Swaby of Hopeton district, Manchester.

The Crown, represented by Lisa Palmer Hamilton, senior deputy director of public prosecutions, and Claudette Thompson, Crown counsel, is alleging that the Lyns were strangled during a robbery at their home in Mandeville, Manchester, between December 9 and 10, 2006. The Crown is alleging that items belonging to the Lyns were found in the possession of the two accused.

Senior Puisne Judge Marva McIntosh is presiding at the trial, which began on October 5 in the Home Circuit Court.

Willingly offered

McKenzie said that on December 31, 2006, he was at the Mandeville Police Station when Detective Sergeant Dolphie Graveney cautioned Powell. Graveney told Powell he wanted to ask him some questions in relation to the bodies that he had shown the police at the dump on the evening of December 29, 2006.

In response, Powell said: "Officer, mi a go tell you how everything go because a nuh mi kill them."

Graveney asked Powell if he wanted to give a written statement to the police. Powell said yes. McKenzie said that at Powell's request, he wrote the statement.

McKenzie said earlier in his testimony that during a question-and-answer session on December 29, 2006, Powell was questioned about his arrest on December 16 along Kendal Road, Manchester. Powell was questioned about two photographs of the Lyns and their children that had been found in his black billfold. Powell denied that the pictures had been taken from him. He admitted knowing the two deceased, but insisted that the pictures had not been taken from him.

The trial will continue on Wednesday because one of the 12-member jury has a previous engagement for today.

- Barbara Gayle