Convict testifies that Pink was also involved in Campbell-Collymore’s killing
MURDER CONVICT - TURNED-PROSECUTION witness Wade Balckwood on Friday insisted that he knew of Dwayne Pink being involved in the murder of Simone Campbell-Collymore, even though he never gave that name in his caution statement.
Blackwood gave his caution statement on June 20, 2018 after news broke that he was wanted by the police in relation to the murder of Campbell-Collymore and her taxi driver, Winston Walters.
On Thursday, he also insisted that he knew Michael Adams, the man said to have been contracted by Campbell-Collymore’s husband, Omar Collymore, for the Unruly Gang to carry out the attack. He maintained that he knew Adams even as Adams’ attorney, Sanjay Smith, grilled him as to how could he know his client and did not know even know his first name.
Campbell-Collymore and Walters were shot and killed on January 2, 2018 outside the businesswomen’s Forest Ridge apartment in Red Hills, St Andrew, allegedly by Blackwood and an accomplice, Jim, who has since been killed by the police.
While being questioned in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston by l ead prosecutor Andrea Martin Swaby, she noted that in Blackwood’s statement, he noted that he did not know “Adams’ friends who were not from Brooke Valley”, yet he claimed to have known Dwayne Pink.
“Those persons you were referring to as ‘Adams’ friends’, who you said they are not from Brooke Valley, who are those people?” Martin Swaby asked, to which Blackwood responded, “Pink! Adams and a next guy.”
“When you said to the police – that’s when they came to you on February 2 of this year – ‘I don’t know them’. What did you mean when you said‘I don’t know them’?” Martin Swaby questioned.
Blackwood answered, “I said ‘I don’t know them’ because I did not remember their name[s] at the time and I did not want to tell the police any lie.”
Martin Swaby t hen asked Blackwood to tell her of the last time, before the police came to him on February 2, 2024, he had seen Pink before.
Blackwood responded, “The last time was at court”, but added that he could not recall the year, but noted that it was before he had pleaded guilty in 2021.
Blackwood included the name Pink in his second statement this year, dated February 21, after he became a prosecution witness, and said he remembered the name while going to court alongside the man.
“You agreed with counsel that it was in the second statement in February this year that you put in the name Dwayne Pink?” Martin Swaby said, of which he responded, “Yes, miss.”
“So when did you remember the name ‘Dwayne Pink’?” she then asked.
“The first time they come at GP and I give the statement, miss. After they leave and reflecting back and then come back, miss, I did remember everything miss, and I remembered the names.”
Pink was not seen in the surveillance video, but Blackwood was seen shooting at the left side of the motorcar with Campbell-Collymore and Walters inside.
The matter will continue at the Home Circuit Court on March 11.