Kathy-Ann Pyke threatens Hugh Wildman with defamation suit during six-officer murder trial cross-examination

On Thursday, Crown prosecutor Kathy-Ann Pyke said she would take Hugh Wildman to court over claims he had harmed her reputation, breaking into his questioning of a witness in the prosecution of six police officers for murder.

The witness, a retired forensic scientist, faced Mr Wildman's queries about whether she had met Ms Pyke in the passages at the Supreme Court earlier in the week, before taking the stand on swabs she had examined for gunpowder residue.

Her evidence speaks to the fatal shootings on 12 January 2013 of Matthew Lee, Ucliffe Dyer and Mark Allen. Police officers killed them on Acadia Drive in Barbican, St Andrew, against the backdrop of allegations that a shootout involving law enforcement took place.

Mr Wildman suggested she and Ms Pyke had a long talk in the hallway. She maintained they had simply sat together for a brief period.

"Prior to me giving evidence here on Wednesday, I had a discussion with Miss Pyke. Yes, that discussion was in relation to this case. No, we did not speak about the evidence I was about to give. I pointed out something to her. While I was there I found something out and so I indicated to her and then she came to find out what it was. I discovered something on my certificate and so I indicated it to her a few minutes after she came," she told the seven jurors.

Ms Pyke rose to object, stressing that the scientist testified for the Crown and that contact between them ought not to startle anyone.

She again warned Mr Wildman she would sue him—a step she has floated several times in the hearing—and accused him of attacking her character. Mr Wildman answered, "Bring it on".

When Ms Pyke sat down, Mr Wildman resumed and drew out what the two women had discussed outside court.

"I pointed out something to her in relation to the case. I indicated to her that there was an error on one page of the certificate," she added.

Mr Wildman asked nothing more about the hallway conversation.