Judge concerned about murder accused’s ID parade
Published:Thursday | April 6, 2023 | 1:06 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The court has ordered for checks to be made into the identification parade process in the case of an accused held in relation to a deadly shooting in Norwood, St James on November 16, 2022.
Presiding parish judge Sasha-Marie Ashley made the order in the St James Parish Court on Tuesday during a bail application by attorney Martyn Thomas on behalf of his client, Shandee Brown.
Brown is charged with the murders of 31-year-old shopkeeper Delano Christie and 26-year-old Jordain Brown.
Thomas argued that the process under which his client was made to undergo an identification parade was marred by a witness’ failure to identify the defendant.
“We submit that the identification evidence is poor, as the attacker on the day of the incident was masked. The witness visited the police station when an identification parade was arranged for Mr Brown on February 1. He viewed the men for two minutes, and then he paused to say he was unable to identify anyone,” Thomas told Judge Ashley.
“Based on what took place on February 1, we objected to any formal parade being done. The accused man, on the second attempt to do the parade, said he would not do the parade because he has been exposed, and we are contending that the process employed re his identification is unfair,” Thomas added, noting that his client has no previous gang affiliations.
In response, Judge Ashley noted that the reliability of the identification process has been called into question and must be resolved because of what appears to be inconsistencies in the police report before the court.
“If it is that the police sergeant’s statement [following the identification parade] is in line with the police report, which is diametrically opposed to what the witness on the parade has said, it has to be addressed at the highest level. The integrity of the process has to be preserved,” said Ashley.
Brown was subsequently offered bail in the sum of $800,000 with two sureties. He has been given reporting conditions and is to relocate from St James. His case will again be mentioned on May 8.
The allegations are that at about 8:15 p.m. on the day in question, patrons were at a shop operated by Christie along Hacca Street in Norwood, when two armed men approached them and opened gunfire before fleeing the area on foot.
Christie, Brown and four other persons, including Christie’s nine-month-old daughter, were shot.
The injured persons were taken to the hospital, where Christie and Brown were pronounced dead.