Witness accused of telling ‘fanciful, fantastic lies’
A 38-YEAR-OLD former taxi operator was yesterday accused of using media reports to formulate his evidence to the court as the trial for reputed gang leader Uchence Wilson and his 23 alleged cronies continued at the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.
This was the suggestion during cross-examination by attorney Cecile Griffiths-Ashton.
She also asserted that her client, Kerron Walters, otherwise known as ‘Tall Man’, was not part of a criminal organisation, but the witness maintained that he was.
Another attorney, Kerry-Ann Wilson, who represents Machel Goubourne, suggested that he started calling the group of men and four women a gang because of the police.
However, the witness, who claims to be a former member of the gang, rejected the assertion.
Arguing that her client was not part of any gang, she said, “I am suggesting to you that all the evidence and stories you gave this court are fanciful and fantastic lies.”
The witness, “I don’t agree with you, Miss.”
During cross-examination by attorney-at-law Richard Lynch, the witness admitted that he told the police that he was not a member of a gang and that this was a lie.
He, however, explained that he did this because he did not trust the police.
Lynch represents Machel ‘Judge’ Lamont.
Attorney-at-law Tamika Harris, who is representing Derron Taylor, also called ‘Devin’, suggested that the witness “knew he was in deep water why him mek up this story to get out deep water”.
The witness did not agree. The witness also rejected suggestions by attorneys-atlaw Kamisha Mittoo and Xavier Leveridge that their clients, Donovan Cole, Tevin Khani and Sheldon Christian, were members of a gang.
Donna McIntosh Brice-Gayle, attorney representing Kennith Winter, otherwise called‘Blacks’, who started her cross-examination of the witness yesterday afternoon, is expected to continue this morning.
Wilson and his 23 alleged gang members, which include four women and a policeman, are on trial for breaches of the Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) Act 2014, commonly referred to as the antigang legislation, for crimes allegedly carried out between 2015 and 2017.