Justice of Peace should know fate soon in 2010 shooting case

The case in which Justice of the Peace Ernest Dennie is charged with shooting two men at Questelles back in 2010, should come to a close soon at the Serious Offences Court.{{more}}

Dennie’s lawyer, Olin Dennie is expected to submit a written no-case submission to Chief Magistrate Sonya Young on August 29. A response from the prosecution is expected on September 5.

The 62-year-old contractor is on trial, charged with maliciously wounding Kebba “Plaza” Foye and Sananctus “Yard-e” Gould, both of Questelles on December 1, 2010, at a Unity Labour Party (ULP) meeting at Chauncey.

Both men have already testified in the matter.

Foye said he was driving his scooter through the crowd at the political meeting when he was attacked. He told the court that he had a confrontation with his attacker, which ended in him being shot in his leg.

The other victim, Sananctus Gould, said he was sitting at a shop drinking a Guinness when he saw people running. He said he went to the other side of the road and was shot in his leg shortly after.

He told the court he fell in a nearby gutter after he was struck.

In his testimony last Tuesday, Police Constable Lee Archibald said he was on duty at the Questelles Police Station when a report of wounding was made by Foye.

Archibald said Dennie later came to the station with a black and silver Taurus .32 magnum revolver. The officer said he questioned Dennie about the weapon.

“He said he was being chased by a man firing gunshots at him…,” Archibald testified.

According to Archibald, he left the police station and about 45 feet away, he met Gould lying at the side of the road.

The police officer said when he returned to the station, he checked the weapon brought in by Dennie and found that it had three spent shells and live rounds of ammunition.

Dennie’s attorney, Olin Dennie, under cross-examination, put it to Archibald that his client had told him that he was being chased by some guys.

Olin Dennie said his client had to be placed behind the counter at the police station for his own safety because of an angry crowd that had assembled outside the station.

Archibald, in response, said he placed Dennie behind the counter, not from the crowd, but because they wanted to investigate the shooting incident.

Asked if persons who he interviewed confirmed that his client was being chased, Archibald said yes. He then confirmed that Dennie was placed behind counter for his own safety. (KW)