Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
THE TRIAL of Senior Super-intendent of Police Reneto Adams and the other five policemen charged with the murder of four civilians in Kraal, Clarendon, on May 7 last year is scheduled to begin in the Home Circuit Court on September 19.
When the policemen appeared in court yesterday, Crown Counsel Jeniece Nelson-Brown applied for a mention date in July because there were seven outstanding statements and videotapes to be served on the defence.
Defence lawyers, K. Churchill Neita, Q.C., Valerie Neita-Robertson, Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Debra Martin strenuously opposed the application for a mention date. They referred to the hardships which their clients were experiencing since they were suspended from the force almost two years ago. The lawyers said the defence was ready to proceed to trial so that the matter could be disposed of expeditiously.
CASE MANAGEMENT
Justice Courtney Daye agreed with the lawyers that the case was dragging on for too long. The judge said two years was far too long for a case to be on the mention list. The judge emphasised that one of the functions of the court was to take control of the cases through case management and he was going to take a stand in the matter. He ordered that the outstanding documents be served on the defence by May 26. He also ordered the policemen to return to court on May 26 so that the court could ascertain whether the Office of the Director of Public Prosecu-tions had complied with the order.
The other policemen charged are Corporal Patrick Coke, Constables Shane Lyons, Roderick Colleyard, Lynford Gordon and Devon Bernard.
The Crown is alleging that on May 7, 2003, a police party led by SSP Adams, former head of the disbanded Crime Management Unit (CMU), went to Kraal in search of Bashington Douglas, otherwise called 'Chen Chen'.
The policemen went to a house in the district where they allegedly killed Lewena Thompson, Angella Richards, Kirk Gordon and Matthew James during an alleged shoot-out between them and gunmen.
The policemen are on bail and one of the conditions of their bail is that they must report to the commissioner`s office on Fridays.
