‘I definitely did not conspire with anyone to commit murder’

While proclaiming his innocence, one of the alleged murder accomplices in the January 2, 2018 shooting deaths of businesswoman Simone Campbell-Collymore and her taxi-driver Winston Walters, said he did everything possible to separate himself from the deadly plot and its planning.

The 27-year-old marketer of clothing, jewellery and shoes, Shaquilla Edwards, yesterday in an unsworn statement from the prisoner dock, also sought to distance himself from the murder conspiracy.

“I had no intention of committing any murder, committed no murder, I had no agreement with anyone to commit any murder and I definitely did not conspire with anyone to commit murder,” Edwards declared

“I did everything that I could to isolate from any involvement with the plan or planning of the sort or anything to do with murder and I am innocent,” he added.

Edwards, while emphasising that he was “fully cooperative” with the police and investigation, noted that he told them everything he knew.

Another alleged accomplice, Dwayne Pink, who is reported to have been one of the men along with Edwards who trailed Campbell-Collymore in the days leading up to her murder, also declared his innocence in an unsworn statement from the prisoner dock.

“I never influence or tell no one to do such a thing of murdering no one, mi never involve meself or pree anything negative in his life.

“Mi never think of doing such a thing and I never drive around or go around with no one or influencing no one to do nothing,” Pink said.

He further said, “I wasn’t thinking of killing no one or advising no one to do nothing like that.”

Was aware of hit

Turning back to Edwards, in a caution statement, he disclosed that he was aware there was a hit on the woman’s life and that he had even accompanied others including Pink, in watching her Mercedes-Benz motorcar.

According to him his co-defendant, the alleged contract killer, Michael Adams, gave him a picture of the woman and instructed him to follow her. He also told the police that Adams had rented three vehicles and that he had driven all of them at some point.

Edwards also said in that statement that while he knew Omar Collymore, the alleged mastermind, he did not know his relation to Campbell-Collymore until he saw the news about her death.

Edwards also reported that on the day of the shooting, he was not present as he had told the men that he did not want to accompany them.

Meanwhile, an administrator from the Dallas Castle, St Andrew community, who gave character evidence on Pink’s behalf, said she did not know him to be involved in criminal activities. As far as she knew, he was a construction worker.

“I know him as a kind and caring person,” she said, sharing that he would often visit his grandmother who lives in the community.

The character witness also said that she was shocked and devastated when she heard that Pink was arrested for the double murder.

But under cross-examination, she agreed that what she knew of Pink’s character was from what she had observed when he lived in the community.

She also admitted that she could not speak of his association when he was at Molynes Road in Kingston, where he resides.

She also acknowledged that the defendant’s name did not “ring a bell”

Collymore, who is accused of orchestrating his wife’s murder, is currently on trial in the Home Circuit Court along with Edwards, Adams and Pink.

The men are each charged with two counts of murder and murder conspiracy in relation to the double murder which occurred outside the couple’s apartment complex.

The defence attorneys-at-law will make their closing addresses on Monday when the trial resumes.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com