‘I did not see any gunmen on the property’

As the cross-examination of Dr Claudette Clarke continued yesterday, she insisted that gunmen were not on her property during the night of the police-military raid 14 years ago that resulted in the death of her husband, Keith Clarke.

While attired in a full black dress in the witness box of the High Court, located in downtown Kingston, Dr Clarke maintained her stance, during questioning from Peter Champagnie, KC, that neither she nor her husband had been harbouring criminals inside their home on May 27, 2010.

At the start of the cross-examination, Champagnie stated, “Is it your evidence on the 27th of May 2010, on the occasion that you looked through your bedroom window, you were not able to see who were on the outside. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, sir. I was not able to see from the bedroom windows,” Dr Clarke responded.

But that response was not sufficient for the attorney, who pressed her for more.

“If I were to suggest to you, as I’m now suggesting, that there were, in addition to security forces on the outside, armed gunmen/criminals, you wouldn’t be able to answer that? You wouldn’t be able to confirm or deny that? Wouldn’t you?” Champagnie asked.

In responding, Dr Clarke calmly responded, “I was not aware of any armed gunmen on the property on that night, sir... . I was not able to see, and I did not see any gunmen on the property outside of the house.”

Not satisfied with her response, Champagnie pulled for evidence in the form of photographs taken immediately after the shooting that illustrated the state of various sections of her house and two of the sport utility vehicles (SUV) – a Toyota Prado and a Suzuki Grand Vitara – she and her husband owned at the time.

Both SUVs were parked facing the Kirkland Close property, with bullet holes in their windscreens, which, it was suggested to the court, was an indication that the shooter or shooters caused the damage while firing from the direction of the house.

“I am going to demonstrate to you that there were gunmen there that night,” Champagnie said before showing images on a projector inside the courtroom.

He asked her to keenly analyse the images shown on the screen and to verify whether they were of sections of her house. The images included rooms in the basement, the master bedroom, steps leading to the basement and the living room. Beer bottles were clearly seen lying around in the basement, on a basement step and in another room in the house. In addition, the bed in the basement was not spread.

BED IN THE BASEMENT

“Therefore, it would be safe to say ... you agree with me ... that in May 2010, the bed in the basement was always made up and no one used it?... Is that the truth?” Champagnie asked to which the witness repeated an explanation that her daughter had had a birthday get-together with her friends.

She also said her daughter hosted a get-together in the basement on April 23, a month prior to her birthday, after Champagnie asked her if the basement was occupied during the month of May 2010, which would provide an explanation for the used state of the area.

“So, this is about a month before the 27th [of May]... . The get-together was a month before... . When you gave your statement to INDECOM [Independent Commission of Investigations], did you ever say that the bed in the basement is always made and no one uses it?” Champagnie queried, to which she said her response was to a question that was asked of her.

Champagnie then asked her if she was speaking the truth when she made those statements, to which she responded, “In general”.

Clarke, a 63-year-old chartered accountant at the time, was shot 21 times during the raid at his home, following which the three soldiers – lance corporals Greg Tingling and Odel Buckley, as well as private Arnold Henry – were charged with murder.

The incident occurred during the search for then fugitive Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke who was wanted by United States authorities for drug and gunrunning offences.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com