Brothers accused of taxi driver's murder declare innocence

By Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

KENNETH MYRIE, Snr., father of the two men accused of killing a 65-year-old taxi driver and dumping his body in a marl quarry at Treadegar Park, St. Catherine, wept yesterday as he gave evidence for one of his sons who he said was 17 years old when he was held by the police on February 2, 1996.

The two brothers, Kenneth, 35, and Floyd 23, said in their defence, yesterday that they knew nothing about the murder.

The Crown, represented by Kathy Pyke, acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and Rochelle Cameron, Crown Counsel, is alleging that the two men chartered McIntyre's car on February 2, 1996 and then stabbed him to death, robbed him of his motorcar, and dumped his body in an old marl quarry at Treadegar Park, St. Catherine.

Intensive investigations by Superintendent Kelso Small and Deputy Superintendent Roy Boyd led to the arrests of the two men later that day while they were in McIntyre's white Toyota Corolla motorcar on Molynes Road, Kingston. The Crown is also alleging that Floyd told the police where the body was.

Garth McIntyre testified that on February 17, 1996 he identified the two accused at separate identification parades and pointed out the two accused as the men his father had picked up on Oakland Road about 5.30 p.m. on February 2, 1996.

Claims he was baby-sitting

Kenneth Myrie, said in his defence that he was also called Anthony. He said he lived at 171 Olympic Way, Kingston 11 and on February 2, 1996 he was baby-sitting his child because the mother had gone to downtown Kingston. He said he left his house about 8.30 p.m. on February 2, 1996. He said his brother Floyd was with him and they headed for Maxfield Avenue to look for a friend called Glen. While on Maxfield Avenue, they chartered a blue Toyota Corona motorcar to Cross Roads but they did not see Glen.

They left in the taxi to go a club on Molynes Road and on the way they saw Glen on Chisholm Avenue. They stopped the taxi driver and Glen came into the taxi with them. When the taxi reached Molynes Road, they heard a shot fired and then heard police telling them to put their hands in the air and get out of the car. They obeyed the orders.

The police asked "where are the guns" and checked his waist for gun but they did not take anything from him. Kenneth said he was taken to the Cross Roads police station where he was handcuffed onto a rail at the back of the police station. He was beaten by several policemen. He denied being in any white Toyota Corolla motorcar when the police held him.

Cross-examined by Kathy Pyke, Kenneth Myrie said that he had an aunt living on Oakland Road and she was living there in February 1996. He said he did not go there at any time on February 2, 1996.

In an unsworn statement from the dock, Floyd said in 1996 he lived with his father at Tryall Heights, St. Catherine and attended Jonathan Grant High School in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. On February 2, 1996, he returned home from school at about 2 p.m. He was at home until late in the evening when he went to look for his brother Kenneth at 171 Olympic Way. He said he and Kenneth were in the taxi which they travelled in from Cross Roads when they were held by the police. He said two days after he was held, "the police drove with me to a district and took me to an open lot and showed me a body and asked me if I know about it. They took me to Central Village police station and that is the whole truth", Floyd said.

Kenneth Myrie, Snr., said that sometime after 5 p.m. on February 2, 1996, Floyd left home to meet Kenneth and he did not return home that night.

The trial continues today before Mr. Justice Neville Clarke and the jury in the Home Circuit Court.

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