The jury is expected to hand down its verdict today in the case of the two men who have been on trial since October 5 for the murder of elderly Manchester couple Richard and Julia Lyn.

They are 28-year-old farmer and taxi driver Lennox Swaby, of Hopeton district, Manchester, and 26-year-old garbage truck driver Calvin Powell, of New Green, Manchester.

The Lyns were strangled between December 9 and 10 during a robbery at their home in Mandeville.

The Crown, represented by prosecutors Lisa Palmer Hamilton and Claudette Thompson, called 47 witnesses to testify at the trial in the Home Circuit Court.

Yesterday, Senior Puisne Judge Marva McIntosh reviewed Swaby's defence and asked the jury to consider the defence of each accused separately.

The judge will review Powell's defence when the trial resumes today.

Jamaica to improve security

Jamaica is slated to improve public security with a US$21-million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The facility will finance crime prevention and strategic interventions to address risk factors that lead youths into a path of crime and violence.

The project will support interventions such as dispute resolution, mentoring, teen centres, job training, remedial education and parenting programmes.

"The loan will finance actions to promote safe neighbourhoods such as community mobilisation activities; construction of multi-purpose facilities for the delivery of prevention services; establishment of community justice tribunals; and public education campaigns," the IDB said in a release.

Former cop raided

A battalion of military and police personnel swooped down on the offices of retired detective superintendent of police John Morris and his staff along Gloucester Avenue in Montego Bay, St James, yesterday, reportedly in search of guns and drugs.

The security forces were acting on information they received that guns and drugs were at Morris' security firm but the raid, which lasted more than six hours, proved the information false.

A source said that after the security personnel stated they were searching for drugs and guns, they then started searching documents.

"Obviously, somebody is trying to mash up my business. I am operating a straightforward business," an irate Morris told The Gleaner. "Why come with a load of police and literally shut down my business? What they did, four police could have done."

Morris confirmed that his computers had been seized and said he represents clients both locally and overseas.