Cop on nine-year murder charge cites abuse of court proceedings
Published:Thursday | October 28, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter
A police sergeant who has been off the job for the last nine years awaiting his murder trial is now taking the issue to the Judicial Review Court.
Lance Webley is seeking to have a new indictment charging him with the murder of a person unknown quashed on the grounds that it is an abuse of the process of the court.
Webley's case was placed on the Home Circuit Court list for his trial to start yesterday. The trial could not start because another murder case which started last week was still in progress.
Attorney-at-law George Soutar announced that Webley was taking his case to the the Judicial Review Court.
Justice Kay Beckford extended Webley's bail for him to return to the Home Circuit Court on March 28 next year for his trial to commence.
Charge changed
Webley, who is also being represented by attorney-at-law Linda Wright, was first charged with the murder of John Spencer, who was fatally shot in St Catherine on November 16, 2001. The charge was subsequently changed to a person unknown.
It was reported that police were summoned to Webley's home where it was alleged that someone had attempted to break into his house.
Webley, who was on duty at the time, also went to his house and along with policemen who answered the call, searched the area and allegedly came under gunfire. It is alleged that they returned the fire and a man was fatally shot.
Webley made several appearances in court and his case was adjourned sine die (without a date being set for trial). Some years later, Webley brought an application in court for his case to be disposed of and the prosecution announced then that the case against Webley was proceeding and the indictment was changed to a person unknown.
However, the defence is contending that the person who was shot on the night of the incident was taken to hospital, his hands were swabbed and he had a name.