No match found, ballistics expert testifies in Acadia Drive case

A government ballistic expert was, yesterday, grilled over the origins of three firearms examined in connection with the 2013 Acadia Drive triple-fatal shooting and an addendum report later submitted in the case regarding the results of tests conducted on the weapons. 

Under cross-examination by defence attorney Hugh Wildman, the superintendent of police, formerly attached to the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, was questioned about how the addendum report came about and what information accompanied the firearms when they were submitted for analysis.

“The addendum is a report that is done – a ballistic report in this case – that speaks to additional evidence or items that have been submitted and additional examinations that were done that were not mentioned in the original certificate,” the witness told the court.

He said the addendum involved three firearms that were later tested against spent casings previously analysed in his original report.

However, when asked whether any of the casings could be linked to the firearms, he said: “No, sir. No match.”

Wildman questioned whether the expert had been informed of the firearms' connection to the Acadia Drive incident or where they had originated.

“When the information in relation to the addendum was submitted to you, did it come with a label as to the reason for the analysis?” he asked.

The witness said the firearms were submitted by a representative of the Bureau of Special Investigations with information that the spent casings in the original report had not been linked to any of the firearms previously submitted and that these three firearms may have been a match.

Asked whether he had been told where the firearms came from, the witness replied: “No sir. That is not information that is normally provided to the lab.”

“Isn’t it a requirement that you know where the items come from?” Wildman pressed.

The witness replied: “What we are talking about are not evidence that was recovered from a crime scene. These are firearms in the possession of members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force that are in circulation as part of any good quality assurance system. As an analyst, you try your best when possible to get concerned with information such as who had the firearm, where they are stationed, et cetera, because that is not material to my analysis.”

Wildman then asked: “What was so special about these that are in the addendum that they had to be submitted to you?”

The witness said that was a question for the officer who submitted the firearms for testing.

The attorney tried further to get the officer to answer but prosecutor Kathy Ann Pyke objected, saying the question was irrelevant.

Wildman, however, argued that the addendum contained information that was not part of the case and was highly prejudicial. 

The witness, during further cross-examination, agreed that the recovery of spent casings from a scene depends on how accurately officers retrieve the items.

Turning to gunshot residue, Wildman asked whether a person who fires a firearm would be expected to have traces of nitrate on their hands.

“Quite possible,” the witness replied.

He also agreed that the detection of nitrate depends in part on how long after the incident the test is conducted.

Wildman further suggested that where a shooter is some distance from a victim, investigators would not expect to see signs of burning on the victim's body.

“Yes. You would not get those,” the witness agreed.

The trial continues today with the witness facing cross-examination from defence attorney Althea Grant, who has begun questioning him about the chain of custody for exhibits tendered in the case.

Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, and Constables Orandy Rose, Andrew Smith, and Sheldon Richards are on trial for the murders of Eucliffe Dyer, Matthew Lee, and Mark Allen, who were fatally shot along Acadia Drive in St Andrew on January 12, 2013.

The court has previously heard that the policemen reported being involved in a shoot-out with the men after signalling a blue Mitsubishi Outlander to stop at a vehicle checkpoint. According to the officers, the occupants exited the vehicle and opened fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

Two illegal firearms, an Arcus pistol and a submachine gun, were reportedly recovered following the incident.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com