DEATH SQUAD TRIAL | Early adjournment over crime scene photos

Nickoy Wilson, Gleaner Writer

A disagreement between the prosecutors and defence attorneys about adducing into evidence photographs of a crime scene, this morning prompted an early adjournment of the so-called death squad murder trial for three Clarendon cops in Kingston's Home Circuit Court.

Detective corporal Kevin Adams, district constable Howard Brown and constable Carl Bucknor are jointly charged with the September 5, 2011 murder of Andrew Bisson in May Pen.

The court was adjourned shortly after midday.

Presiding judge Chief Justice Bryan Sykes told the defence attorneys and prosecutors to use the almost two-hour break before the 2 p.m. resumption to come to a decision.

Defence attorney Valerie Neita-Roberson QC, who is representing Adams, told the court, that defence lawyers were not served with all the photographs and so they could not agree on what should be allowed to be admitted into evidence.

The defence also objected to the Crown's request to adduce three statements said to have been collected from one person saying the signatures on the statements differed, which raised doubt about their authenticity. 

Meanwhile, the court this morning heard testimony from Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) acting chief investigator Owen Wright who said he went to the scene where Bisson was killed.

He also testified to being at Bisson's autopsy on September 9, 2011. 

This is the third police death squad trial since 2017 involving police personnel from the Clarendon Police Division.

In the first trial in March last year, Constable Collis 'Chucky' Brown and corporal Roan Morrison were freed of the murder of Phaebian Dinnal and the wounding of another man in May Pen in 2010.

In the second trial Brown was convicted of three counts of murder on November 15, 2018. 

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