Lawyer, judge wrangle over police diary in Issa trial

THE ST James Parish Court has ordered that a police station diary, which allegedly includes a report about a lost firearm lodged by businessman Michael Issa, is to be presented on June 1 when Issa’s trial for indecent language, abusive language, and resisting arrest, continues.

Presiding Parish Judge Kaysha Grant made the order after hearing testimony from the prosecution’s first witness, the investigating officer in the case against Issa, during the first day of the businessman’s trial on Monday. Issa’s bail was also extended to June 1.

Attorney-at-law Michael Hemmings, who is representing Issa for the duration of the trial, had objected to the prosecution’s revelation that it intended to enter the station diary into evidence. He objected on the grounds that the court had previously dismissed an additional charge of negligent loss of firearm, from which Issa’s current charges have arisen.

“There is no main offence, as an arm of the prosecution had offered no-evidence for negligent loss of firearm. He [Issa] was never convicted for that charge,” Hemmings told Grant.

“The Crown is at liberty to call witnesses and tender exhibits as they please. This court cannot fetter lawfully what the Crown decides to do...in terms of the relevance of this document. I see some relevance, because a person being arrested does not necessarily mean the person will be convicted,” Grant replied.

The discourse between the lawyer and the judge took place after the investigating officer told the court in his evidence-in-chief that Issa had previously reported his firearm missing on December 17, 2021. According to the witness, Issa later reported on December 19 that the gun had been found, but he did not comply with instructions to bring the gun in for testing.

The witness further told the court that on January 13, 2022, he confronted Issa about the firearm when the businessman came to the Montego Bay Police Station with attorney Gordon Brown for reasons unrelated to the firearm, at which point Issa hurled expletives at the police.

“I informed Mr Issa of the offences of indecent language and abusive language, and we were trying to hold on to him to get him into the station. He was pulling away and cursing,” the witness added.

The prosecution is expected to call one other witness in its case against Issa once the trial resumes on June 1.

According to reports, Issa was arrested and charged when he went to make a police report on January 13, hours after the abduction and murder of his stepson, Gabriel King, who was autistic. It is understood that the matter of Issa’s licensed firearm is not related to the child’s death.

King was abducted from his mother along the Tucker main road in St James on January 13, after she was reportedly carjacked by assailants who dragged her from her motor car and took the vehicle with the child still in the back seat. King was later found with his throat slashed at the rear of the vehicle, which was found abandoned off the Fairfield main road in Montego Bay.