Cousins accused of murdering cop freed

Two cousins who were accused of murdering 31-year-old police Constable Richard Taylor in September 2006 have been freed.

They are 27-year-old Sheldon Bent and 23-year-old André Bent, both of Point Hill, St Catherine.

The policeman's body was found in a pond on the Worthy Park Estate, St Catherine.

The body was badly decomposed and a piece of rope which was attached to motor-car engine was tied around the waist.

A witness had testified that, on the night of September 5, 2006, he saw the two accused in a motor car which was being driven by the policeman.

No-case submissions

The witness admitted under cross-examination that the windows of the motor-car were tinted. It was suggested to the witness that he could not have seen the persons in the car since the window was tinted.

Human blood was found in the motor car but the DNA tests could not determine whether the blood belonged to the deceased.

After the Crown closed its case, defence lawyers Velma Hylton, QC, Pamela Shoucair Gayle and Samuel Smith made no-case submissions on the grounds that the Crown did not prove its case against the men.

Supreme Court judge Donald McIntosh upheld the submissions, and directed a Home Circuit Court jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.