BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FORMER Defence Force soldier Louis Richards is again standing trial at the Basseterre High Court of Justice. This time, however, on two counts of “wounding with intent”.
The Old Road resident is accused of shooting Addren ‘Ado’ Searles and Jevon Woodley – both of Old Road - on the night of August 3, 2007 in their home village.
The case began on Wednesday (Oct. 14) with Old Road resident Dion Taylor presenting his evidence to the court. He explained that at about 8:00 p.m. that evening, he was at 2Pac Bar – located on the seaside of Old Road’s main road – where a number of individuals were playing dominoes, with the accused in proximity. He noted that what happened next caused all of them to seek cover.
“While there, I hear three gunshots about two seconds apart. I ran under 2Pac shed. I realised that Ghost and LM were under a table and the table was turned up in front of them.”
Taylor further explained that the accused emerged from behind a board – where he took cover – and reacted after being alerted to the fact that he had been shot.
“When the place came back to normal, the accused came from behind a board. He was bleeding from behind and somebody shouted out to him and tell him he’s bleeding. Then he shouted out, ‘Oh my God, I am shot!’ He say he aine gun tek it. Then he looked and spot Ado coming from Sandy Point’s direction and open a shot after Ado with a gun. The shot caught Ado in his right hand. He ran across and he followed Ado in the same direction.”
Defence Counsel Jason Hamilton, during cross examination of this witness, suggested to him that from where Richards was sitting prior to the first phase of the incident, he was able to see through the alley which is positioned on the opposite side of the road (next to Ms. Watson’s Shop). Taylor said this was not so and noted that after Richards emerged from behind the board from which he sought cover, he indicated that he knew who his attacker was.
Searles offered the court his account of the incident, which corroborated portions of Taylor’s evidence.
His account of the incident placed him in the vicinity of Lover’s Bar just after the first shooting and shortly before he was injured.
“I was heading from home to go across the road. I didn’t make it where I was about to go. I made it to Lover’s Bar…When I got there I realised people speaking in a tone, dominoes on the ground. People were getting from under the table. I stop to speak to Laurinston Matthew. While speaking to him…ah hear somebody jump out from…and say ‘Move! Move!’ Then I realise the person was Mr. Louis. He had a gun in his hand. He said, ‘Move, move! Somebody gon get it’. “Then I realised the gun was pointed at me, so I try to get out the way. I received a shot in me hand…left hand. I try to run to the police station. When I looked back, the accused was in the middle of the road with the gun in his hand looking around.”
The virtual complainant noted that after he saw the accused “going back to the direction where the shooting took place”, he ran to the Old Road Police Station where he made a report and was subsequently taken to the hospital.
The young man explained that he neither pointed a firearm at Richards anytime that night nor did he interfere with him in any way on that night.
As a result of the gunshot injury he sustained, Searles explained that the lower bone in his left arm was shattered.
Hamilton’s line of cross examination suggested that Searles and the other virtual complainant were responsible for shooting Richards.
He suggested to Searles that he passed in the same area approximately 20-30 minutes prior to the shooting and saw Richards sitting close to the bar. He further suggested that Searles and Woodley were in the alley located next to Ms. Watson’s Shop and fired shots at Richards, injuring him.
Searles countered by indicating that the suggestions were untrue and noted that he did pass in the area about an hour before the first phase of the shooting incident occurred, at which point he did not see Richards.
Another of Hamilton’s suggestions was that when Richards pointed the gun at Searles, he made “sudden movements” with his hands. Searles denied this explaining that all he did was “step back” in an effort to “get out of the way”.
Another of the prosecution’s witnesses, Laurinston Matthew, corroborated parts of Searles’ evidence during his testimony. He said after the first phase of the shooting, he was speaking with Searles when “I saw Louis raise he gun and point it at him. He fired a shot…”
Matthew told the court that as far as he is aware, Searles was not carrying anything in his hand when he was speaking to him or did he interfere with the accused on that night.
He said under cross examination however, that he recalls Searles passing in the area sometime before the first shooting occurred and Richards was present at the time. He further explained that from where Richards was sitting, he was in a position to view the activity taking place through the alley located on the opposite side of the road.
The case is slated to continue next week.
