Defence questions authorship of letter ascribed to accused

DEFENCE ATTORNEYS in the trial of murder accused police Constable Collis ‘Chucky’ Brown yesterday insisted that the letter assistant commissioner of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), Hamish Campbell, is claiming to have received from their client was not written by him.

Attorneys Vincent Wellesley and Althea Freeman are now appearing for the defence in the trial.

During the cross-examination of INDECOM’s chief investigator, Warren Williams, at the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston yesterday, one of Brown’s attorneys, Norman Godfrey, said that the letter being ascribed to his client does not bear his signature.

He also said that at no time did Brown volunteer the document and further suggested that Campbell saw the letter in question on Brown’s bed in his cell at Up Park Camp and took it up without his client’s permission.

Williams rejected the assertion, saying he saw when Brown handed a document resembling the hand-written letter to the INDECOM assistant commissioner.

Meanwhile, Godfrey continued to insist that the rights of his client were disregarded.

“None of you there from INDECOM had any regard for any right that the accused man had, neither legal nor physical,” said Godfrey, who cited the transcript of the cautioned statement in which his client complained of having a “wicked” headache.

When Williams was questioned by lead prosecutor Queen’s Counsel Caroline Hay, however, he said that he cautioned Brown throughout the interview conducted at the INDECOM headquarters in St Andrew on August 10, 2013.

“Based on what was being said and even prior to commencing the interview, Mr Campbell had said certain things to me. Hence, I ensured I cautioned Mr Brown,” Williams said.

‘TROUBLED’ BY HOW RELAXED BROWN WAS

Williams also said that although Brown complained about having a migraine, he continued to speak without reservation.

The witness also told the court that he found it “troubling” how relaxed Brown was while he disclosed information about the ‘special’ police squad and its activities.

Godfrey also suggested that INDECOM paid for six to seven weeks for Brown’s wife and child to stay in a St Andrew hotel because of his client’s concern for their safety.

In re-examination, Hay instructed Williams to read two lines from the letter; this was met with strong opposition from the defence. However, trial judge Justice Vivene Harris ruled in favour of the prosecution.

Brown, who was arrested on August 14, 2014, is indicted on five charges stemming from the January 10, 2009 murder of Robert ‘Gutty’ Dawkins and the December 13, 2012 murders of Dwayne Douglas and Andrew Fearon.

He is also facing a charge of wounding with intent and one charge of conspiracy to commit murder.