Three men abandon murder trial midway, surety detained until bail bond is paid

Livern Barrett, Senior Gleaner Writer

Three men accused of pumping 12 bullets into another have failed to turn up for court in the middle of their murder trial.

The three: Oshane Coley, Devon Harriott and Michael Jacobs, skipped court yesterday, a day after Justice Martin Gayle, who is presiding over their trial, ruled that a statement the victim gave police investigators after the attack, be admitted into evidence.

The three had been in custody since 2010 but were granted bail earlier this year.

Gayle has ordered that arrest warrants be issued for them and has ruled that the trial continue in their absence.

He has also ordered that their bail in the amount of $300,000 each be forfeited to the State.

The men's disappearance caused law enforcement authorities to stumble upon a man who admitted in court this morning, that he had used the same land title to bail at least three persons accused of various crimes including shooting.

Kenneth Walker, the man who stood surety for Harriott, was taken into custody at the Supreme Court building when he showed up to bail another accused person yesterday.

Walker, who was held in custody overnight, was brought to court this morning.

He admitted that he did not know Harriott personally.

"It's a friend of mine introduce me to him," Walker told the court.

Justice Gayle ordered that Walker be remanded until the $300,000 bond for Harrott is paid over to the state.

Coley, Harriott and Jacobs are on trial for allegedly shooting Craig Lewis 12 times inside his St Catherine home in December 2009.

He gave a detailed statement to investigators identifying his killers, but nine days later, succumbed to his injuries.