Defence counsel claims murder accused was threatened by wounded victims!!

By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DEFENCE attorney for Defence Force Private Louis Richards, who is on trial for murder and two counts of wounding with intent, is suggesting that his client, prior to the incident, had made complaints that the two men whom he is accused of wounding had threatened him.

The Director of Public Prosecutions and her team have the burden of proving to the jury that on August 3, 2007, Richards shot and killed Clyde Williams and shot and injured Addren ‘Ado’ Searles and Jevon ‘Herbie’ Woodley, all after he himself was shot.

Yesterday (Oct. 9) after lead investigator in the case, Sergeant Wingrove Herbert, gave his evidence in chief, he was cross examined by defence attorney Jason Hamilton.

SGT Herbert told the court that he was in charge of the Old Road Police Station from March 2007 to August 31 of that year. He also said part of his duty was to ensure follow-up was done concerning matters reported to that station. Hamilton suggested to him that Richards, on a number of occasions, had made complaints to that station of threats made to him by either Searles or Woodley, or both. In response, the SGT told the court that he was not aware of any such reports.

With regard to investigations conducted following the incident, SGT Herbert told the court that he removed a number of spent shells from the scene and deduced that more than one firearm was used in the incident, but declared that he could not have determined the caliber of the bullets that injured Richards, Searles and Woodley and also that which killed Williams.  He further declared that no bullet was recovered from Williams’ body.

SGT Herbert also told the court that at some point during the investigation, the accused told him of the names of the person or persons who shot him but, to date, no one has been arrested and charged with that incident.   ~~Adz:Right~~

The officer told the court that it was 26 days after the incident that Richards was officially arrested and charged with Williams’ murder and the wounding with intent of Jevon Woodley.  However, it was not until sometime in November 2007 that the charge of “wounding Addren Searles with intent” was preferred against him. When questioned about the time gap, SGT Herbert told the court that he was merely adhering to the instructions given to him by his superior, Deputy Commissioner Stafford Liburd.

During the past days of the trial, prosecution witnesses testified that on the night in question several individuals including Richards were in the Old Road area at 2Pac Bar playing dominoes, watching television and hanging around. While there, they claimed to have heard the report of a number of shots fired and persons ran for cover.

Witnesses also testified that Richards, after being made aware that he was shot, grabbed his firearm and discharged a number of rounds. Searles was struck in the hand and Williams in the stomach.

Prosecution witnesses also stated that Richards left the scene and went to his girlfriend’s mother’s house and returned with three other armed individuals. They walked, the witnesses claimed, to the eastern end of Old Road where Richards shot Woodley a number of times.

Suggestions made by the defence are that a number of the prosecution witnesses have been far less than truthful. Hamilton suggested that both Searles and Woodley are of less than wholesome character and are involved in a gang he identified as the Riverside Crew. 

He also suggested that both men have been among others who were searched by groups of Defence Force soldiers including Richards. Another suggestion he made, is that the two men shot at or conspired to shoot at Richards because he had searched them in the past.

Both men however maintained that they had nothing against the accused and were shot by him unprovoked.

With some 20 witnesses having given evidence and with one remaining, the prosecution is expected to close its case today, after which the defence will call an approximate four witnesses. The accused is also likely to take the stand and give his account of the happenings on the night of August 3, 2007.