Man freed of murder

Dwayne Bramble, at centre, who was freed of a murder charge, leaves the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, with his attorneys Kelston Pope, left, and Evans Welch, right.
Dwayne Bramble, at centre, who was freed of a murder charge, leaves the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, with his attorneys Kelston Pope, left, and Evans Welch, right.

UPDATED:

It was second time lucky for Dwayne Bramble, who was freed yesterday by a High Court judge of the murder of his friend in 2007. Bramble was before Justice Gillian Lucky in the Port of Spain Fifth Criminal Court on a murder indictment, which the judge stayed. She also ordered his immediate release.

Bramble, of Achong Trace, Balthazar Street, Tunapuna, was charged with murdering Brandon Duke on May 25, 2007 at Upper Fairley Street, Tunapuna. Duke was a former Unemployment Relief Programme foreman. He was shot five times at a village parlour in the presence of his son.

In 2014, a retrial was ordered for Bramble after a jury failed to agree on a verdict. When the case began befor Lucky in late October, the prosecution sought to have the statement of Duke’s son, Lundon, tendered into evidence as they were having trouble finding him. Lundon had identified Bramble as the man who shot his father.

In her ruling on the admission of the statement, Lucky agreed with defence attorneys Evans Welch and Kelston Pope that the prosecution failed to prove that all reasonable steps had been taken to find the witness.

She also agreed that the effort to find him should have started long before October, and refused to allow the statement into evidence.

On leaving the Hall of Justice, Bramble thanked his attorneys and said he was looking forward to his second chance.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Dwayne Bramble was on Wednesday freed by a High Court judge of the murder of his friend in 2007.

Bramble, of Achong Trace, Balthazar Street, Tunapuna, was charged with murdering Brandon Duke on May 25, 2007 at Upper Fairley Street, Tunapuna. Duke was a former Unemployment Relief Programme foreman. He was shot five times at a village parlour in the presence of his son.

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