‘CHUCKY’ GUILTY
THE STOIC Constable Collis ‘Chucky’ Brown’s facial expression remained unchanged yesterday when he was found guilty on all three counts of murder by a sixmember jury in a packed courtroom at the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.
Brown was on trial for charges stemming from the 2009 murder of Damoy ‘Gutty’ Dawkins and the 2012 murders of Dwayne ‘Murderous’ Douglas and Andrew ‘Sugar’ Fearon.
He was also found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder and wounding with intent.
Lead prosecutor in the trial, Queen’s Counsel Caroline Hay, told The Gleaner that the prosecution felt satisfied that justice was served.
“It was a long case. It was well defended in terms of the evidence that the defence had to work with. We, on our side,
respect the way in which they presented the defence, considering the strength of the evidence they had to meet,” said Hay.
“We think the director’s (public prosecutions) decision to prosecute the case in the open was important for the people of Jamaica because the issues are national.”
But member of the defence team Vincent Wellesley believes that this verdict has dealt a heavy blow to members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
“This verdict has sent the wrong message to decent, hardworking policemen and women, and it is going to further demoralise these good and decent police officers of this country, in particular, the police officers in Clarendon,” Wellesley said.
He also expressed surprise that the jury, which comprised two males and four females, found Brown guilty on all counts in the indictment.
A RANGE OF WRONGDOINGS IN JCF
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), which levelled charges against Brown in 2014, also commented on the verdict.
“This case has identified a range of wrongdoings in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and INDECOM continues to investigate such allegations. INDECOM hopes that the JCF will continue its reform efforts, and we continue to encourage that the police abide by the law while enforcing the law and urge good officers to speak out when they see misconduct,” a statement from the agency said.
The allegations against Brown were that he conspired with members of the Clarendon Police Division to eliminate individuals who they believed were committing crimes in the parish. This included Dawkins, who Brown is said to have shot and killed along the Palmer’s Cross main road in Clarendon on January 10, 2009.
It was also alleged that Brown was involved in the shooting and killing of Douglas and Fearon along the Swansea main road in the parish on December 13, 2012.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on December 20.