I saw Caine fire shots at Elly, says cousin of deceased

As the murder case of Elroy “Elly” Blucher continued at the High Court on Tuesday, the cousin of deceased testified that she saw murder accused Adonijah Caine stand in front of Blucher with a gun and fire shots at him, ending his life back on October 23, 2009, at Georgetown.{{more}}

Yolande Sampson told the court that she was on the block in Georgetown shortly after 7:00 pm that night when the deceased and some of his friends were having a birthday cook out.

The Langley Park resident said she then moved from where she was standing to telephone her brother.

“I went to call my brother because I wanted him to take me to get some more White Oak (rum) for the guys on the block.”

After she got off the phone, Sampson said she heard a loud noise that sounded as if people were lighting bamboo joints.

“I heard more sound and then I realised it was not bamboo and it was gunshots…,” she added.

The woman said she saw sparks coming from the area where she saw Caine and about four others dressed in hooded shirts coming up from the river, just behind where the cook out was taking place.

“I saw my cousin sitting on the ground, and the guys in the bush were coming closer to where he was sitting. I saw Caine kick over the pot and then come closer to the bench where Elroy was sitting in front of, and he had a gun in his hand and was pointing it at my cousin and was firing shots….,” Sampson revealed.

According to Sampson, Caine was wearing a dark coloured hooded shirt over his head, but it was not covering his face.

She said her cousin Dave Sutton came to where she was standing, and pulled her away. Sampson told the court that she was able to see Caine’s face because of the street lights there.

Defence counsel Nicole Sylvester pointed to a police statement given by Sampson on March 30, 2010, in which she stated that she did not see Caine kick the pot off the fire.

“You are only saying this because he’s your cousin and you want to see someone punished,” Sylvester claimed.

Sampson replied: “I am speaking what I saw.”

Sylvester also mentioned that there had been problems between the Caine and Blucher families, which even involved the police.

Sampson told the court that she knew of a dispute between both families, but couldn’t tell when it started.

Sylvester further suggested to the witness that all of the men in hooded shirts were wearing masks and Caine was nowhere there that night.

The foreman of the jury asked Sampson what angle she saw the accused from when the shooting took place and she said she saw his face from the side.

Brother of the deceased Everoy Blucher told the court that he was also there when the cookout was taking place that night. Blucher said he was providing the musical entertainment for the night and had gone to his house, not too far away to change a CD. On his way back, he said he heard a loud explosion which sounded like a bamboo.

He testified that he saw people running from the direction of the cookout. He said he sought refuge behind a wall. While there peeping, Blucher said he saw three men standing close to the pot.

“I saw a guy with an object in his hand and was pointing it at the crowd who were running…,” Blucher testified.

Dr Ronald Child testified that Blucher died as a result of a gunshot wound to the face.

The matter continues at the High Court.

Crown counsel Colin John leads the prosecution’s case.(KW)