Police shooting case postponed until March
Published:Thursday | February 2, 2017 | 12:00 AMChristopher Thomas
WESTERN BUREAU:
The problem plagued trial of Senior Superintendent of Police Anthony Castelle and District Constable Rohan McIntosh, who are facing unlawful wounding charges in an incident in which a pregnant woman was shot and injured, has been put off until March 15.
When the men appeared in the St James Parish Court on Friday, presiding Magistrate Natalie Hart-Hines was informed that McIntosh's attorney, Stacy-Ann Williams, was involved in other matters in the Circuit Court and the Western Regional Gun Court, which prompted her to set the new date for the continuation of the trial.
"Miss Williams has matters in the Circuit Court and she also has a continuing matter in the Western Regional Gun Court," attorney at law Althea Grant, who is representing Castelle, told the court.
"I need an undertaking from her (Williams) as regards her submissions. I do not like to see witnesses waste their time," Hart-Hines said in response before extending the men's bail until the new court date.
Castelle and McIntosh are charged with unlawful wounding of Janice Hines, who was shot and seriously wounded while travelling in a taxi which engaged the lawmen in a high-speed chase through a section of Montego Bay on January 22, 2016.
THE ALLEGATION
According to the allegations, the vehicle in which Hines was a passenger was signalled by the police to stop, but the driver disobeyed the order and sped off. The police chase the car along the Mount Salem main road during which shots were fired and Hines, who was pregnant at the time, was hit and sustained injuries. She was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where she was admitted.
Since the case started last Monday, there has been a series of delays on account of the attorneys for the men either being unavailable because of illness or being involved in other court cases.
Fourteen witnesses are expected to testify for the prosecution. So far, four witnesses have testified, including the complainant Hines, who successfully delivered her baby in the aftermath of the shooting.