Four defence witnesses take stand;
Witnesses claim Richards identified his attackers
By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOUR members of the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF) appeared before the Basseterre High Court yesterday morning to give evidence on behalf of the defence in the case brought against Private Louis Richards, who is charged with one count of murder and two counts of wounding with intent.
The Crown contends that on Aug 3, 2007, Richards shot and killed 49-year-old Clyde Williams of Old Road and shot and injured Addren ‘Ado’ Searles and Jevon ‘Herbie’ Woodley, also of Old Road. The Crown also contends that Richards shot these individuals in retaliation of him being shot in the buttock on the same evening.
Richards however maintains that he saw two of the three persons who were shooting at him on that evening; persons whom he identified as Searles and Woodley. He claims that he fired shots at the two men but was uncertain if they were hit by the bullets. And when asked if he was aware that one of the shots he fired caught and killed Williams, he told the court he did not see Williams on that evening.
The first defence witness was SGT Nathaniel Francis, Training Instructor of the SKNDF, who told the court that he trains soldiers of the said institution for combat.
The SGT told the court that when a soldier comes under gunfire, the standard procedure is for that soldier to get to the nearest cover as quickly as possible and return fire. He added, however, that the soldier should “observe” then return fire.
Under cross examination, SGT Francis noted if someone is unarmed, then he or she does not pose a threat and, if that is the case, an armed soldier should not fire his weapon. ~~Adz:Right~~
Another soldier, Eric Thompson, in his evidence, explained that at about 7:00 on the night of August 3, 2007 he was at home preparing for duty when he received a call from Richards.
“He was hasty. He said, ‘Dem fellows shoot me’…I said take it easy. You know who shoot you? He said ‘yes’.” According to the soldier, Richards identified his attackers as Searles and Woodley. Thompson told the court he told Richards to “hang on” and try and make it to the eastern end of Old Road, after which he placed a call to another soldier, Mark Pemberton.
According to Pemberton’s testimony, he received a call from Thompson at about 7:00 p.m. and he caught a bus and journeyed to Old Road. He said he called Richards via cell phone to ascertain where he was and found him “down an alley hiding under a house. I asked him if he is alright and he said he was shot. I told him that Thompson and others are on their way” and that they had instructed him to escort him to the eastern end of Old Road.
Private Pemberton said they began walking towards the eastern end of Old Road and while in the vicinity of the Ghaut, which is next to Spratt Net, he heard someone say, “Louis coming”.
“One guy was behaving in a violent manner. As we approached the curb, the said guy put his hand under shirt and that was when Private Richards fired. The guy ran,” Pemberton recounted.
Both Thompson and Pemberton, while being cross-examined, informed that they went to court to help out a fellow soldier and also indicated that they came to “tell the truth”.
Private Kevin Morton, a member of the Strike Force, told the court that on the night of August 3, 2007 he received a call from the Defence Force Camp after which the Strike Force unit went to Old Road. He stated that upon arrival at Old Road, he saw Private Richards, who indicated to him that he was shot by three fellows and he knew two of them. Morton said the names Richards gave to him were those of Searles and Woodley.
The Private also indicated that there were nights when members of the Strike Force had to escort Richards to his home because of threats made against him.
After all defence witnesses had given evidence, the defence closed its case and gave its closing argument which was followed by the delivery of the Crown’s closing argument.
Today, the trial judge, His Lordship Justice Francis Belle, is expected to sum-up the evidence in the case and the jury will be sent to deliberate.
