'Chucky' Brown Trial | Defence, witness knock heads during cross-examination

Lawyers for murder accused Constable Collis 'Chucky' Brown will begin their defence of the alleged killer cop today.

Yesterday, the prosecution closed its case after five weeks of testimony by at least nine Crown witnesses.

Before that, Brown's attorney, Norman Godfrey, continued his cross-examination of the Crown's final witness, which was testy at times, warranting the intervention of presiding judge, Justice Vivene Harris.

The attorney asked the witness, "During the period 2010, 2009, 2011, do you know the statement 'May Pen is not a play pen'?"

With laughter, the witness said, "That's where your client worked also ... . That's where the death squad operated from, Sir."

Godfrey also suggested that the witness was hiding guns for Dwayne 'Murderous' Douglas.

The witness, however, denied the assertion, saying, "I had to source information about where the guns were, so I had to carefully find out."

Godfrey also suggested, "The statement, 'Nothing no inna that case. That saaf. Me a go buss dat.', I am suggesting that you made that up in the witness box."

"You can't suggest that to me," the witness said.

But Godfrey retorted, "You can't tell me what to suggest!" with the judge interjecting and advising the witness to say whether he agreed with the statement.

"Disagree!" the witness shouted.

The witness is said to have signed a document given to him by an unnamed police officer, while he was incarcerated, for the amount of $150,000.

He told the court, "Of course, my signature is on it. I was compelled to do it for the safety of my life."

But Godfrey asked the witness, "In your statement to INDECOM (Independent Commission of Investigations), why did you not say it was for the preservation of your life?"

After a verbal clash, the witness said to Godfrey, "You're being a little bit ignorant."

"You're being rude," Godfrey responded, as Justice Harris advised the witness not to engage the attorney in that way.

The witness then answered, "Because it was a police officer involved, Sir."

Godfrey again questioned the witness' motive for providing information to the Clarendon Police Division to recover illegal firearms.

 

ABANDONED COMMITMENT TO COUNTRY?

 

The attorney asked the witness if he remembered saying, "I decided to help because the financial arrangement were appealing and as a citizen in Rocky Point, I knew what was happening" in his statement to INDECOM on September 9.

"I don't recall saying 'appealing'," the witness answered, but after he was shown the statement, he agreed.

"Did you stop giving information because it wasn't working out financially?" Godfrey asked.

The witness said, "Of course, I did."

He was then asked why he stopped, to which he said, " They never paid me the money that was agreed ... . I was used by the police force."

"You've abandoned commitment to country?" Godfrey asked, after which another verbal clash ensued.

Following the interjection of the judge once again, the witness said, "No, Ma'am. I abandoned the agreement."

Brown is being tried for the 2009 murder of Robert 'Gutty' Dawkins and the 2012 murders of Douglas and Andrew Fearon. Both incidents happened in Clarendon.

He is also facing three charges of murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder, and one count of wounding with intent.

nickoy.wilson@gleanerjm.com