BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Elroy ‘Stanny’ Williams left the courthouse this morning (June 1) with a smile on his face and a spring in his step after he was freed of the murder charge brought against him.
Williams was accused of shooting Parson’s Village resident 23-year-old Delvin Romney on the night of August 10, 2008 at Lynches.
The case commenced on Monday, May 31 and early in the trial the prosecution encountered a snag when one of its key witnesses, who was expected to provide the ‘smoking gun’, did not deliver. It was the prosecution’s expectation that Romney’s brother, Craig Bradshaw, would have testified that he saw Williams shoot Romney.
Evidence given in court yesterday placed Williams at the scene of the crime prior to its commission, and it also indicated that there was altercation between him and Romney. The prosecution’s evidence, however, failed at placing a gun in Williams’ hand and also at proving that he pulled the trigger which led to Romney’s death.
This morning, after a further prosecution witness gave evidence, Director of Public Prosecution Paulina Hendrickson rose and indicated to the court that the prosecution had no intention of proceeding with the case.
“I looked at the evidence overnight and there is not enough evidence to go to the jury, and I respectfully advise the court that the prosecution will not go any further with the case. We have gone as far as we can go,” the DPP explained.
In light of the DPP’s stance, His Lordship Justice Francis Belle ordered the jury to return a “not-guilty” verdict, effectively freeing Williams.
Before he left the courtroom, Justice Belle told Williams that the issue remains unresolved but as far as “this court” is concerned “you are free to go”.
In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, Williams said his first order of business as a free man is to visit his two children. He said he was confident in his impending release.
“What happened today is that me and my lawyer provide a tenacious case in proving my verdict of not guilty when the prosecution team provided a tenuous case. I knew my liberation would have been imminent, due to the fact that I did not shoot and kill Delvis Romney. Right now I am feeling vivacious because there is not a feeling like being home. I am going to visit my son and my daughter; they are four and five years old.”
William’s defence counsel Hesketh Benjamin said his client’s exoneration was inevitable and informed that had the DPP not taken the action she did, he would have filed a no-case submission which he believes would have been accepted by the court.
“From day one, having looked at the Magistrate’s deposition, this is what I expected. There was no evidence to convict him.”
Williams was incarcerated for one year and 10 months before his case was tried.
