Judge sets record straight in cops’ murder trial

TRIAL Judge Sonia Bertram-Linton sought to set the record straight on Monday that she has not been showing favouritism to any of the parties involved in the murder trial of six policemen which has been going on since January in the Home Circuit Court in downtown, Kingston.

Bertram-Linton was pushed to go on record as defending herself after attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman, who is representing four of the six cops, expressed disapproval, citing that on Thursday last week the trial was adjourned until Monday to give prosecutor Kathy-Ann Pyke time to allegedly get her house in order.

It was revealed on Monday that Pyke wanted more time in relation to having photographs allegedly taken of a station diary from the Constant Spring Police Station — which cannot be found more than 13 years later — to be admitted into evidence.

The diary was said to have had an entry related to the January 12, 2013 shooting deaths of Matthew Lee, Ucliffe Dyer and Mark Allen. The three were killed in an alleged shoot-out with the police on Acadia Drive in Barbican, St Andrew, very close to the intersection with Evans Avenue.

Additionally, Wildman expressed concern that the case was put off from Thursday until Monday, without any of the defence attorneys being present.

Wildman argued that on Thursday afternoon he was on his way from the parish court in Half-Way-Tree to the Supreme Court downtown when he got a call from another defence attorney who indicated that the case was put off.

He contended that that was unacceptable.

Wildman insisted that the parties invested in the trial, including the jurors, should not be at the mercy of Pyke, and she should not be granted adjournments whenever she wants them.

The judge was clearly not happy with the road Wildman appeared to be heading down with his comments.

Bertram-Linton told Wildman the he was being quite disingenuous, among other things. She stated that the court has often granted defence counsel in the matter leave to be elsewhere, including other courts, over the seven-month period. She called for fairness.

She stated that it was unfair for Wildman to even suggest such a thing. Bertram-Linton alluded that Wildman has had personal matters in the past to attend to and was given time to deal with them.

He insisted that the issues he had to attend were never personal but involved other courts.

Shortly after her reprimand of Wildman, Bertram-Linton turned her focus to the jurors, expressing how grateful she was for their diligence, taking into consideration the length of time of the trial thus far.

She added that there is no need to cast blame on anyone for the length of time the case has been taking.

“My integrity means much more to me than to be doing favours for one side,” the judge said.

On trial for murder are Sergeant Simroy Mott and Corporal Donovan Fullerton, along with constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch. Corporal Fullerton is also charged with making a false statement to the Independent Commission of Investigations.

The trial continues today.