Policeman freed of murder charge

Police constable Mark Grant was on Tuesday freed of murder in the Home Circuit Court.

The seven-member jury deliberated for over an hour before returning a unanimous verdict of not guilty.

At the trial, which began on March 11, the prosecution led evidence that on June 16, 2010, Grant shot and killed Devon Delliser, who was of a Norman Road address in St Andrew.

It was alleged that the policeman confronted Delliser and after giving instructions to put his hands in the air, turned his M16 rifle on him and fatally shot the man in his back.

In his defence, Grant’s attorneys, Peter Champagnie QC and Pierre Rogers, suggested that the Delliser was shot when, after putting his hands in the air, made a sudden movement by dropping one of his hands and reaching for his waistband.

At that moment, Delliser’s back was turned to the policeman.

It was argued that Delliser then spun around suddenly with an object in his hand.

After he was shot, the object turned out to be a magnum tonic wine bottle.

The lawyers argued that, in such circumstances, the policeman fired believing that Delliser had a firearm and was reaching for it to shoot him.

In addressing the jury, Champagnie urged them to consider that the incident happened at night and that the post mortem report showed that Delliser was shot to the side of his chest, consistent with him turn around.

The trial was presided over by Justice Vivene Harris.

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