BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE murder trial of Shamari ‘Kwasi’ Williams began yesterday (June 14) at the Basseterre High Court, and statements made by the father of the deceased contradicted what he previously said at the magisterial level of the case.
Williams (24) of New Road died at the JNF Hospital at approximately 11:05 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, 2008 after he was shot on the right side of his head while driving along George Street, Newtown in the vicinity of Hope Chapel at about 11:15 on the previous night.
Lester ‘8-Ball’ Tross and Malvi ‘Mello’ Drew, both of Lower Pitcairn Street, were jointly charged with the murder of Williams.
Both accused are being represented by Hesketh Benjamin and Chesley Hamilton, while the prosecution team is headed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Paulina Hendrickson.
The prosecution is alleging that on the night in question, Tross and Drew shot at Williams and several others who were travelling in a white corolla motorcar.
One of the bullets hit Williams in his head. He the driver of the vehicle in which his father, Eric Williams, Jervin Dowell and Kwesi Twells were passengers. The latter was gunned down on the Infirmary Road in St. Johnston Village on Wednesday, March 4, 2009.
In her opening remarks, the DPP told the jury that it would hear from the father of the deceased, who said he saw both accused shooting at the car and that they were not masked.
However, when the senior Williams took the stand, he told the court a different story to what was in the deposition.
The senior Williams, also of New Road and who owns and operates a bar on George Street, Newtown, said that his son picked him up on July 5, 2008 at around 11:10 p.m.
He said as they drove eastward along George Street heading in the direction of CEMACO, shots were fired at them and his son lost control of the car which resulted in it crashing into another vehicle.
When asked by the DPP if the persons he saw shooting at them were the two accused, he said that the experience was very traumatic and he could not have seen who the persons were and he did not see any of the accused on that night.
At that point, the DPP referred to his deposition and asked him if he recalled giving evidence in the matter to which he responded, “Yes”.
She told His Lordship Justice Francis Belle that Eric Williams should be deemed a “hostile witness” because he was making contradictory statements.
The DPP said that in the Magistrate’s Court Williams said that he recognised the men who shot at them to be the two accused, that they had handguns and he was certain it was the same men who shot and killed his son.
Hendrickson also told the court that Williams further said in his deposition that he recognised both accused because they were not masked but had their shirts pulled up covering their hair.
However, Williams insisted that he did not know who shot at them and he did not see the accused that night.
During cross-examination, Hamilton asked the witness if the statement he made was correct to his belief, knowledge or information. Williams responded that it was from information he gathered and it was not true or correct, based on his knowledge.
Williams also said that he was unsure of how many persons were shooting at them, but assumed that it was more than one person.
Benjamin also cross-examined Williams, who revealed that he heard people saying all kinds of things about who did the shooting on the night in question.
He said he was not sure what happened and repeated that he did not see Tross shoot his son.
The next witness was Jamillah Morton, a cousin of the deceased, who said that she was the individual who identified Shamari Williams’ body at the morgue.
The third witness to testify was Jervin Dowell of Taylors, who was one of the passengers in the vehicle.
Dowell told the court that while the shots were being fired he was “ducking” in the back of the car, and shortly after he and Twells exited.
During cross-examination, Dowell said that he did not see anyone shooting at them or did he see Drew or Tross, or any gunman.
The trial continues today.
