BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - YESTERDAY (Oct. 1) Alex Claxton walked out of the Basseterre High Court a free man having been found not guilty of shooting with intent by an eight women-four men jury after a short deliberation period. The verdict was unanimous.
Claxton was charged with the November 17, 2011 shooting with intent to do grievous bodily harm, at police officer Cleavon Chumney of the Delta Squad and Defence Force officer Gareth Phillip.
The prosecution called four witnesses including Chumney and Phillip to make their case but was unsuccessful in trying to prove that between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on the day in question while in an alley on West Street on the said date, shot at Officers Chumney and Phillip after they identified themselves as a officers and ordered him to stop. Claxton then allegedly made his escape onto Wellington Road in the vicinity of the Public Works Department.
There were many discrepancies in the prosecution's case as the testimonies of star witnesses - those of Chumney and Phillip - did not corroborate.
The defence was however successful in convincing the jury that Claxton did not have a firearm in his possession and that he was the one being shot at, hence his running away, not knowing that Chumney was in fact a police officer because he did not identify himself as one.
The defence called two witnesses to testify on its behalf and Claxton also took the stand.
The trial began last Wednesday (Sept. 26) with Dennis Merchant leading the prosecution team, while Claxton was represented by Counsel John Cato.
