Jury expected to deliberate on verdict in cops' murder trial on Friday

The jury in the High Court murder trial of six police officers is expected to be sent to begin deliberating on a verdict on Friday, as the trial judge enters the fourth day of her summation.

The group of 12 will be tasked with deciding whether the six are guilty of the murder of three Moruga friends on July 22, 2011, or not criminally responsible for the deaths by reason of self-defence.

The six have maintained they returned fire in self-defence after they were shot at.

On trial before Justice Carla Brown-Antoine at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, are Sgt Khemraj Sahadeo and PCs Renaldo Reviero, Glenn Singh, Roger Nicholas, Safraz Juman and Antonio Ramadhin.

They are charged with the murders of Abigail Johnson, 20, of St Mary’s Village, Moruga, Alana Duncan, 27, of Duncan Village, San Fernando, and construction worker Kerron “Fingers” Eccles, 29, also of St Mary’s Village, at the corner of Gunness Trace and Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore.

Brown-Antoine began her review of the evidence on Tuesday. Initially, she said she expected to complete the exercise on Thursday. However, she set aside Friday, in case more time was needed.

On Friday, she is expected to wrap up her review of the evidence, after which she is expected to provide the jury with instructions on the law, and then the jury will be sent to deliberate on their verdict.

On Thursday, the judge took the jurors through the post-mortem reports on the three. All three died of gunshot wounds.

Johnson, according to forensic pathologist Dr Eslyn McDonald-Burris, died of multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body. There were gunshot injuries to her forehead, face, neck and chest and shrapnel injuries to her arm.

Duncan had injuries to her elbow, leg, and chest. Her lung also collapsed. Eccles had gunshot injuries to his chest, arm and hip. His injuries were mainly to the right side of his body.

The judge also took the jurors through the certificates of analysis relating to the lead pellets and bullet fragments found in the bodies of the three, matched against the firearms used by the officers. Although it could not be ascertained if the lead pellets recovered from Johnson and Eccles’s body were fired from one of the Galils assigned to the police officers, a jacketed bullet fragment from a 9-millimeter pistol was fired from one of the TTPS-issued guns.

The judge also reviewed the evidence gathered by crime-scene investigators in a gravel road off the M2 Ring Road in Woodland, where it was alleged the officers took Duncan and Eccles and executed them after they survived the first shooting in Barrackpore. At that location, police allegedly recovered a live round of ammunition, a latex glove, and bullet casings. These were matched to the weapons issued to the police officers and there were matches to a Smith and Wesson pistol.

Swabs of blood found in the B15 and two police vehicles were also matched to the victims.

According to the jury handbook, after the summing-up, jurors will be asked if they have arrived at a verdict or if they wish to retire to consider it.

If they choose to retire, they can, while in deliberation, ask for clarification on issues.

They have four hours to deliberate, but can return a verdict before that time is up. At the expiry of the four hours, if they have not yet returned, they will be brought back to the courtroom and asked if they need additional time.

There can be no majority verdict in capital cases.

The six police officers are represented by Israel Khan, SC, Ulric Skerritt and Arissa Maharaj.

Gilbert Peterson, SC, Elaine Greene, Giselle Ferguson-Heller and Katiesha Ambrose-Persadsingh are also representing the State.