BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – APPEARING before the Basseterre High Court on Friday (Jun. 6), attempted murder accused Deshawn Leader calmly gave a descriptive account of what he claimed actually took place on the evening of November 5, 2012.
Leader, who is accused of attempting to murder Rohan Hamilton, took the stand and testified that he was the one who was attacked by the virtual complainant on the evening in question.
He told the Court that he saw Hamilton on that afternoon on his way from work at 4:15 and told him that he would be visiting him to "check for the money".
"He said, 'yeah man come check me, you know you could come by me anytime'," Leader told the Court.
The accused testified that he had lent Hamilton $1 900 in August 2012 for the renewal of his business licence and had "checked him" on a few occasions for repayment but was unsuccessful.
The accused stated that he visited Hamilton's home in Belmont Estate sometime after 5:00 p.m. that evening and found him looking at his meter box "with a spliff", and when he asked what happened he was told he did not have electricity.
"I said, 'Vincy, I come you for me money enuh'," he said.
Leader testified that they both went into Hamilton's home and he saw a gun resting on top a head tie on a long table. He said he asked Hamilton where he got the gun and was told that it was bought from someone at Kittitian Hill for $1 500.
"I said, 'You buy a gun for $1 500 and you know you got $1 900 for me. You can't even give me half me money'," Leader told the Court.
He continued: "Me and he was reasoning, and reasoning start to get tense. I said, 'Vincy, I want me money by Friday.' He told me he gon give me back me money. I told him I going home because I realise while we reasoning together he started getting angry like he want hold me and box me."
The accused said he turned around to leave the premises but Hamilton struck him in the head with the gun and he was thrown against the front door.
He also told the Court that while he was wrestling Hamilton for the firearm “two shots buss off” in the process.
The wrestling match, Leader said, lasted for about five to seven minutes, and he claimed that Hamilton took a machete and cut him on his right side during the fight.
"I ended up pushing him and say, 'Vincy, how come you ah move so on me...wa me do you?'" the accused said.
He said the machete fell, the fight continued and Hamilton took up the weapon and tried to cut him again.
"I hold the machete, but true the machete sharp it started penetrating, so I let it go and end up push him. When I push him he cut me on me hand wid de machete. So me push him and run away. I run through some bushes and I heard him say: 'Lord, Lord I got to go back Vincy (St. Vincent) tomorrow.’ I end up see him went back to his house and I creep, went up by the engine line and run home."
The accused said he called his mother, explained to her what took place and that he needed her to take him to the hospital, having received a number of cuts from the brawl. He claimed that his mother told him that she was in Sandy Point and it would take a while for her to get to St. Paul’s.
Leader said that in the meantime, he took some rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol) from a First Aid Kit, applied it to the cuts and bandaged them. He also stated that he wrapped the wound on his head with a head tie, but it was still bleeding profusely.
He said that officers from the Police and Defence Forces went to his home shortly after and he was told to get down on the ground, while an officer with a M16 Rifle and another with his service pistol had their firearms trained on him.
Leader told the Court that he was handcuffed and taken to the Dieppe Bay Police Station.
Prior to giving details of what transpired on November 5, 2012, Leader was asked by his counsel, Chesley Hamilton, if he had a criminal record to which he told the Court he was convicted for Escaping Police Pustody on November 6, 2012.
Giving the details of that encounter, Leader testified that while in custody at the Dieppe Bay Police Station on November 5, 2012, he was told by one Officer Wyatt that a custody form needed to be filled and he was asked a number of questions, after which he was photographed by Officer Welsh.
He was then taken to his home where a search was conducted and a number of items were taken from his room.
Leader told the Court that he was then taken to the Pogson Medical Centre in Sandy Point and treated for his wounds, but the police escorts were told he needed to have an X-ray done on the following morning.
The accused testified that he was taken back to the Dieppe Police Station and put in a cell, still handcuffed, from 3:00 a.m. on November 6, 2012. He claimed that for hours he had told officers at the station that he was in serious pain, hungry, thirsty and needed further medical attention, they all ignored him.
Leader said shortly before 8:00 a.m. on that day he told an officer that he needed to use the restroom. He was taken there and he escaped through the window and ran to Saddlers via the railway line to a friend's house.
He said that he subsequently called his mother and she met him at the friend’s home, from where she contacted his attorney who instructed her to immediately call the law enforcement officers.
Leader told the Court that he was arrested in Saddlers and taken to the Basseterre Police Station before going to the JNF Hospital, where he was treated and admitted for three days for infection and a fractured arm.
He said he was convicted and sentenced to 14 days in prison for escaping custody.
At cross-examination, a number of suggestions were put to him.
Counsel for the prosecution O'Neil Simpson suggested that Leader did not ask for medical attention but claimed he did.
It was also suggested that he escaped police custody not to get medical attention but to get away from what he had done to Rohan Hamilton, but the accused maintained he ran to seek medical help.
"In your considerable amount of pain you still managed to escape through a window?" Simpson asked. Leader answered in the positive and explained he needed assistance.
It was further suggested that there were medical centres in Dieppe Bay, St. Paul’s, Sandy Point and a hospital in Molineux, but he "did not rush with great haste" to any of them but instead ran to friend's house in Saddlers.
It was put to the accused that, in the great pain he said he was in, he still managed to go to his friend's home in Saddlers on foot.
He was asked if he filed a complaint with the police to get back his money from Hamilton, if he had any receipt to prove he withdrew the money from his bank account or if he sought any other legal means of getting back the money, and his reply was "no".
Hamilton's side of the incident was put to the accused and he denied shooting at him.
The jury asked if Leader had told anyone that he lent Hamilton the money, and he stated that he told one person. He was also asked if Hamilton was given a time frame for which he had to return the money, but he replied in the negative.
When asked, he said he had never handled a firearm.
The trial continues today (Jun. 12).
