Witness claims knowledge of accused, defence disputes

Murder-convict-turned-prosecution witness Wade Blackwood on Thursday insisted that he knows Michael Adams – the man who is alleged to have received the contract to murder Simone Campbell-Collymore – while the defence charged that he only knew of the man’s existence.

Blackwood continued to paint a picture of January 2, 2018, when he was forced to go on the deadly mission with the Unruly Gang from Brooke Valley in Duhaney Park to kill Simone Campbell-Collymore. Her taxi driver, Winston Walters, also died in the attack.

While being drilled by Sanjay Smith, the defence lawyer for Adams, Blackwood insisted that he knew Adams from 2014 even though he did not know his full name in 2018, when the attack took place.

“Adams came into Brooke Valley six days. I always hear dem call [him] ‘Adams’ ... . I would always see Adams and him friend dem wid di Unruly man dem and dem wuda stay until night, Sir,” Blackwood said.

Smith said, “And in all those years you claim that you’re seeing Mr Adams, you did not know his first name?” to which Blackwood responded, “I did not. ... I always hear dem call him Adams when I go on the Unruly ends.”

After much drilling, and being asked where Adams resided, he eventually said he remembered that Adams lived in Rose Town near Tivoli Gardens but did not know his telephone number.

“I’m suggesting the reason that you do not know his first name is because you don’t know him. Do you agree or disagree?” Smith said, to which Blackwood responded, “I know him, Sir, ‘cause he is always coming at the scheme and Unruly ends, and I go out there a lot of time and go sit with them, Sir.”

Smith then continued with the question, “If you truly know somebody, you would know their first name?” to which Blackwood responded, “No, Sir. I can tell you something. Mi have a bredda. I only know his first name. I don’t know his last name, so you’re saying I don’t know him?”

It is alleged that Adams was the person who Collymore contracted to carry out the hit.

FORCED TO PARTICIPATE

Blackwood reiterated the statements he made on Wednesday that he was forced to be part of the shooting because his brother had been caught with a gun that belonged to the Unruly Gang, and Jim – his accomplice, who is now deceased after being shot by the police – reportedly threatened that if Blackwood refused, he, his mother, or another family member would be killed.

He was first cross-examined by Diane Jobson, legal counsel and attorney for Collymore, who drilled him repeatedly and asked him about the initial moment his mother found out that he was a murderer.

He said that his mother cursed him and “run [him] out of di house” after she saw the televised report with him during a news broadcast.

“Mi mada watch di news and see, and then she approach me and she was cursing and I told her the truth, Miss,” Blackwood told Jobson at the start of the day’s proceedings.

“She seh she never grow mi fi fire any gun, Miss,” he said.

Blackwood was then taken into custody on June 20, 2018, where he gave his caution statement, five months after the attack.

In court, Blackwood’s caution statement was shown to him and then read aloud by the clerk of the court.

He was initially charged along with Campbell-Collymore’s widower, Omar Collymore; Michael Adams; Dwayne Pink; and Shaquille Edwards for the double murder but pleaded guilty.

Campbell-Collymore and Walters were shot and killed outside the gate of the businesswoman’s Forest Ridge apartment in Red Hills, St Andrew.

Blackwood, who is currently serving two life sentences and will be eligible for parole after 20 years, reiterated his testimony on Wednesday that Collymore tried to influence him to lie after he told him that he was going to plead guilty.

While being cross-examined by Jobson, he said it was the first time that he held a gun.

Jobson then proceeded to ask him how he knew it was a Glock. He responded, “I see it write on it, Miss. It write Glock 26, Miss.”

She then asked him how he knew how many shots were in the magazine.

“Jim did seh it was 10 shot, and Skilliman tek it out and told me it [was] eight,” he said.

“So, Mr Blackwood, you handled that gun really well fi a man who just a hold gun for the first time,” Jobson said.

“I was following Jim, Miss,” the witness responded.

“Him tell you how fi fire shot and all of that?” the attorney asked.

“No, he did not tell me. I only press the trigger six times,” Blackwood said.

“And the six shots go into the lady?” Jobson asked, to which Blackwood responded, “Yeah, after reaching back and Skilliman tek out the magazine, Skilliman seh two shot lef in deh, di clip, Miss.”

Jobson wanted to play surveillance footage of the attack, but audio equipment had not been arranged to accommodate this.

She then commented, “Mr Blackwood, fi a man who never have no gun, you looked very efficient when you pumping shot in that car.”

Blackwood returns to court today for the continuation of his cross-examination.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com