The sound of rapid gunfire shattered the silence in the Princes Town First Magistrates Court yesterday as prosecutors showed two closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings during a murder inquiry involving six police officers.The videos, which were tendered into evidence, form part of the State's case against acting Cpl Khemraj Sahadeo, PCs Ronaldo Rivero, Antonio Ramdhin, Glen Singh, Safraz Juman and Roger Nicholas, all of whom are jointly charged with the July 2011 murders of Abigail Johnson, Alana Duncan and Kerron "Fingers" Eccles.
The three friends were shot dead at the corner of Poui Trace and Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore.Yesterday Senior Magistrate Debra Quintyne, following a request from Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, placed a "prohibitive injunction" (gag order) on the media, barring the publication of the names of two witnesses.Gaspard, who is leading the State's case, along with Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson, told Quintyne: "Owing to the peculiarities of this matter and sensitive information reaching my ears, I am inviting the court to instruct the media not to publish the name of (person's name called) as a witness in this matter."
Quintyne opted to bar journalists from publishing the names of the two witnesses who gave evidence yesterday.One of the witnesses, a computer network administrator, tendered the two videos into evidence.The witness then played the videos from a laptop which was attached to a large flatscreen television next to the witness stand.One woman mumbled: "Oh God, oh God," and broke down in tears as the sounds of gunfire were heard in court.As the videos, which were approximately each ten minutes long, were played, relatives of the deceased friends wept. Certain portions of the videos were replayed three times for clarification.
Defence attorney Ulric Skerritt, who appears for the officers and is led by Israel Khan, SC, and instructed by Celeste St Louis, reserved cross-examination of the witness.He said he only received copies of the videos at the hearing and wanted to take instructions from the officers.The enquiry will resume today at 10 am.A tight security net was thrown over the proceedings yesterday after the last hearing of the enquiry on March 18 came to an abrupt end owing to an alleged security threat.
Before the start of the case armed members of the Homicide Operations Unit lined the staircase leading to the court and prevented members of the public and reporters from entering the courtroom until the hearing started.Two reporters were made to wait outside the court until seats were made available.
Police also searched womens' handbags before they were allowed into the courtroom. The police also stood guard outside the court and inside as star witness and former murder accused WPC Nicole Clement returned to the witness stand.
She was grilled by Khan for close to an hour.When Clement was leaving the courtroom Quintyne warned members of the public: "All persons in the public gallery do not make any movements please until officers who are with the witness leave."
Clement left the courthouse surrounded by eight police officers and wearing a heavy dark jacket.A police officer whom Clement had complained about at a previous hearing was denied entry into the courtroom.