Killed for a piece of electrical wire?
Published:Tuesday | November 28, 2017 | 12:00 AMLivern Barrett
The St Ann woman who is on trial, along with her husband and three adult sons for repeatedly chopping a mentally ill man to death in 2007 complained to the police on the day of the killing that the victim had stolen "a piece of electrical wire" from her house, a retired police sergeant has testified.
There was also evidence yesterday that Dr SK Jyoti, the forensic pathologist who conducted a postmortem examination on the body of Stanley McLean, found a total of 13 wounds.
"Stanley McLean died as a result of cerebral injury due to cerebral concussion and haemorrhage associated with multiple fracture, resulting due to multiple chop, stab and blunt injuries inflicted due to sharp-edged weapons and blunt objects," Jyoti wrote in his postmortem report.
Prosecutors and defence attorneys agreed on the contents of the postmortem report before it was admitted as evidence in the murder trial of Velma Deans, her husband, Joseph, and their three sons - Jermaine, Richard and Dwight - in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.
Valmore Morgan, who was the sub-officer in charge of the Claremont Police Station at the time, testified that on July 6, 2007, he was in his office when Velma Deans visited the station and made a complaint.
"She said there was a problem with Stanley McLean. She said he cut out a piece of electrical wire to her house," he recounted.
Morgan said he informed her that the police service vehicle was out on assignment so he could not immediately attend to her, but asked her to wait.
'HE WAS GIPPING'
He testified that as soon as the vehicle returned, he got a call from the Moneague police that led him to Brunswick Street, in the community of Coltart Grove. The retired police sergeant said when he got there, he saw the body of a male lying on his abdomen "in front of Mrs Velma Deans' home".
"How did you know it was Mrs Velma Deans' home?" asked prosecutor Hodine Williams, as he led Morgan through his testimony.
"I saw her there when I went there," he replied.
"What observation you made about the man lying on the ground?" the prosecutor continued.
"I saw that he had a large wound on top of the head, injuries to the mouth and also injuries to the left hand, and he was gipping (gasping)," the witness replied, explaining that McLean was "searching for breath".
The retired police sergeant testified also that McLean's feet were bound with rope.
The trial continues today.