Death Squad Trial | Court told that evidence from crime scene unavailable

Nickoy Wilson, Gleaner Writer

The Home Circuit Court heard this morning that pieces of evidence retrieved from the scene where Andrew Bisson was killed on September 5, 2011, are unavailable.

Queen's Counsel Valerie Neita-Robertson said that an attorney from the prosecution informed the court that the exhibits, which include two spent casings, were unavailable. 

Before that, presiding judge Chief Justice Bryan Sykes stopped lead prosecutor Queen's Counsel Caroline  Hay from questioning Corporal Eugene Mitchell, who took photographs of the crime scene on the day of the incident.

The jury was then excused from the courtroom.

Sykes made inquiries into the availability of the exhibits, but Hay was unable to give a definitive answer.

Sykes was not satisfied with her response.

"This is a seven-year-old case. This trial was supposed to start last week. You said forensic evidence is crucial to your case. You must know whether or not the exhibits recovered are now in existence," Sykes said.

He stated that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Independent Commission of Investigations should be aware of these things and called what transpired an inefficient use of time.

"As I indicated to you from the outset, state agencies will not be able to control the court. You must abide by our rules... . They must conform to standards," Sykes said.

Yesterday, the court was informed that the trial will be forgone today and will resume next Thursday due to prior engagements of the presiding judge.

Hay informed the court that the doctor who conducted the autopsy on Bisson will not be available to testify when the trial resumes next week.

Detective Corporal Kevin Adams, District Constable Howard Brown, and Constable Carl Bucknor are being tried for Bisson's murder. 

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