-will know fate on Tuesday

JUSTICE Franklyn Holder, presiding in the Patentia Secondary School drug smoking murder case wherein accused police constable Quancy John stands indicted of murder committed on schoolboy Kelvin Fraser, yesterday overruled a defence no-case submission and called on John to lead a defence.

John, who began his defence with an unsworn statement from the dock, said he was on duty that day when he heard an explosion and realised that his gun had gone off accidentally during a struggle for the weapon between himself and the now deceased Kelvin Fraser.
John said he was sorry for what had happened that day, since he had had no intention of hurting Kelvin Fraser.

Later, in an address to the jury, his lawyer Mr. Glenn Hanoman urged that his client be found not guilty of the crime, in keeping with the evidence led by the prosecution.

On the other hand, Prosecutrix Miss Diana Kaulesar requested a verdict in accordance with the evidence, pointing out that the accused, by the evidence led, had either intended to kill or to cause serious bodily harm.

Schoolboy Kelvin Fraser was shot to death on June 7th 2010 when police invaded the Patentia Secondary School to confront the alleged dope smokers and sellers who were said to be interfering with the female teachers of that secondary school.

Assistant Police Supt. Elston Baird testified that, on June 8, 2010, he and other officers visited the Wales Police Station where PC Quancy John was on close arrest as a result of the Patentia shooting which had occurred on the previous day.

Baird said he identified himself to John, and told him that he was stationed at the Office of Professional Responsibility and that he was there to assist in conducting investigation into the alleged shooting of Kelvin Fraser.

He enquired from John whether he would take him to the scene of the shooting, and John obliged.
The accused took the party, including Cpl Grannum and Assistant Commissioner Jameer, to Third Street, Patentia. No caution was given to John.

Witness said that the accused pointed out to the party where the alleged incident occurred, and added, “The policeman said ‘the young man was running and I told him to ‘freeze’ and he stopped running. I told him to come over a drain where I was standing. He came. I was holding the gun in my left hand around the middle, the nozzle was pointing upwards’.

“I was holding him with my right hand, and he grabbed the gun and we started a struggle, and the gun went off accidentally’,” witness testified he was told.

At close of yesterday’s sitting, Justice Holder told the jury to keep an open mind, and he declared that he would sum up the evidence on Tuesday morning, after which he would hand over the case to them for their consideration and verdict.

(By George Barclay)