Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterA MAN was freed of several charges in the Gun Court last week because the judge found that the evidence given by a detective sergeant of police was not credible.
Conrad Gregory Thompson, bus conductor, of Red Ground district, near Cavaliers, St. Andrew was freed when Justice Roy Anderson upheld a no case submission made by attorney-at-law Marcus Goffe.
Evidence was given at the trial that on May 11, 2003, a police party went to Red Ground in search of wanted men and to investigate the robbery of a van.
POLICE PARTY UNDER FIRE
A detective sergeant of police testified that when they went to a house, a man who was wearing dreadlocks fired at the police party and escaped. The police eventually went into the house where they found Thompson lying on the floor in a room. He was suffering from gunshot wounds and a firearm with ammunition was beside him.
Thompson was taken to hospital where he was admitted for 12 days but he was not placed under police guard. Four days after he was discharged from hospital he was taken into custody.
Under cross-examination the policeman admitted that he had written two statements which were signed and dated June 2, 2003. However, the court was informed that the prosecution had only one statement on its file and the account of the incident on May 11, 2003 was different from the account given in the copy of the statement which the defence was given. The policeman was shown both statements and he admitted he wrote and signed them.
The policeman denied the suggestion that Thompson was awakened by the police and then shot several times at close range. Mr. Goffe submitted that Thompson should be freed of the charges of illegal possession of firearm and shooting with intent, because there were too many inconsistencies in the policeman's evidence and statements.
The judge upheld the submissions and freed Thompson.
