Accused soon to know fate in murder trial

The fate of Luke Williams will soon be decided at the High Court as his murder trial nears an end.{{more}}

Williams, a labourer of Rose Hall, stands accused of the December 31, 2007, murder of his cousin Terry Browne, 36, also of the same address.

Prosecution witness and father of the deceased, Morsley Williams, told the court that at about 7:35am he heard something being thrown onto his house roof. He said he came out onto his porch to warn the accused not to throw any bottles in his yard.

Moments later, Morsley Williams said Terry came out the house and told Luke, “Me and you ah family. Mek you ah pelt bottle pon me old man place?” The witness said that Luke, who lived just above them, came down in the main road and was holding his hands behind his back. Williams added that Terry went close to where Luke was and told him not to throw the bottles. He said he recalled seeing Luke pull his hands from behind his back and plunge something into Terry’s chest. “I see Terry run come towards me holding he chest covered in blood,” Williams recounted.

Under cross-examination, Luke’s lawyer, Arthur Williams, suggested that Morsley Williams had picked up a stone and a cutlass when he told Luke not to throw stones in the the yard. Williams further pointed out that Terry was making threatening remarks to the accused saying that “Anytime I ketch yo in the road I go deal wid you,” Williams stated. The veteran attorney said that Terry was the author of his own demise. He said it was because Terry was beating him with a piece of pipe why Luke picked up an old pair of scissors and fired one stab at the deceased. Williams (Morsley) denied the allegations that his son ever struck Luke.

Another key prosecution witness, Andy Henderson, said he was in his house watching television when he heard a scream nearby. Henderson told the court that he came out onto his porch and saw the accused standing in the road with his hands behind his back. The witness said he saw Terry standing about four feet away from Luke. “I hear Terry ask Luke, why yo stone down me parents house? I’m still alive and I won’t let you ill treat them,” Henderson recalled. He further added that both men engaged in tussle. “I see like Luke pull he hand from he waist and start to pelt stab but me ain’t know what weapon it was,” he recalled. He added that he saw Terry covered in blood holding his chest. Terry was rushed to the Chateaubelair Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

In a statement given to police by Luke Williams, he said that Morsley came onto his porch with a cutlass and a big stone in each hand and he and Terry were making threatening remarks. Luke Williams said that while he was in the road, Terry, who had a piece of pipe in his hands, confronted him. He added that when the deceased struck him with the pipe, he fired a stab at him and then ran to the Rose Hall Police station for refuge.

The matter continues at the High Court.