Police double-murder case continues

As the trial into the double murders of Vonley Llewellyn and Jennine Gill continues at the High Court, a fierce battle between the defence and prosecution is being played out.{{more}}

In the case in which PC 324 Erickson Harris is charged with killing the couple on December 15, 2005, further evidence coming from Corporal 128 Brian Archibald was heard on Thursday, June 5, 2008.

Corporal Archibald told the court that on March 2, 2007, around 9:15am, he was on duty at Calliaqua Police Station and was talking with Station Sergeant Trevor Bailey. Archibald said that Harris came and joined the conversation. During the conversation, Archibald said Harris told Bailey: “Station, lemme tell yuh dis, remember the two people who got killed and burned up in the house in Fountain? I been really love that girl really bad, I geh she money all thing. Me and she go beach and come back bout 7 pm the same night. Me tell she me war spend de night wid she and she say no. She war spend de night by herself cause she wanted to relax. Me then left she and go home about 11 pm. I call she back when I reach home and I hear a male voice in de background speaking. So I said to myself, how she go do me dat? I jus geh she $3,000 today and when I hear that station, I call the shot pon she.”

Archibald said Harris continued by saying, “I spend all day in town and fix up passport fo she and she children to go to Barbados for Christmas. Me call ah brethren to deal with the man fo me and tell him to walk when he done. But yo see, she stupid, she fight up with the man and he na been have on no mask and he had to tek she out too. When he done, he put clothes in four corners of the house and light de fire. When he done, de man call me and say mission accomplished.”

Archibald said at that point, he removed himself from the conversation and went to lie on his bed until Station Sergeant Bailey came to him. During cross-examination, defence counsel Arthur and Stephen Williams said that they found it strange that if the police were trying to solve a murder since December 2005 and someone told them that, that the person wasn’t arrested immediately. The defence team also told Archibald that he was lying and that no such conversation took place. The highly animated Arthur Williams accused Archibald of trying to implicate his client and that he was trying to mislead the court.

During his turn on the witness stand, investigating officer Station Sergeant Bailey said Harris told him that he got the money from the bank for Gill to go to Barbados and that she wasn’t supposed to die. Bailey said Harris told him while sitting with Archibald, “She been suppose to jump out the window, my money can’t go so. Na boy and she dead because she fight up with the man.”

Bailey added that after Harris was finished relating his story, he proceeded on rest leave for the day. Bailey said he just sat there and could not move because he was stunned and in a state of shock. The matter was then reported.

Station Sergeant Bailey said he treated Harris like a little brother whom he looked out for personally. He said all of them would eat out of the same pot when he cooked because everyone at the Station was like a family.

Bailey told Presiding Judge Gertel Thom that when Harris returned to duty the following day, March 3, 2007, he told him (Harris) not to get dressed in uniform and that they were going to Kingstown.

A crucial stage in the trial saw the defence team objecting to the admissibility of a piece of evidence led by Director of Public Prosecutions Colin Williams, which had to be heard in the absence of the jury in the form of a voir dire. After about a nearly two days of the Voir Dire hearing, Justice Thom deemed the evidence led by the prosecution admissible.

The matter continues. (KW)