Justice Sykes Rejects Evidence of Police Witness

Chief Justice Bryan Sykes rejected evidence from a police witness in the Klansman Gang Trial on the basis that he withheld what is considered to be valuable information. The witness who says he arrested one of the defendants did not disclose to the investigative officer nor to the prosecution that he had known the accused man to be an informant for the police. This bit of information was only revealed to the court on Monday morning, during the trial. 

The police witness detailed how he apprehended a wanted man, the defendant Owen Ormsby alias Mickie on November 22, 2019. But it was not the first time he was seeing Ormsby, as the witness told the court that he knew him since 2014.

What the witness failed to disclose was that Ormsby was an informant for the police, giving insight into the alleged criminal organization. The court learned of this vital piece of information through the prosecution, who said the detail was only revealed to them earlier that same day during a witness interview.

Upon hearing this Chief Justice Sykes held on to his forehead…Defense Attorney Kimani Brydson, who represents Ormsby objected on the basis that such information was not included in the statement the witness provided and he had no knowledge of this as there is no evidence his client was an informer.

Justice Sykes who appeared puzzled questioned the prosecution, “so at no point in time he (the witness) never appreciated the value of this information? Like somebody who has a Picasso but thought it was just a bit of canvass with some paint on it”- adding that witness memory was just now unlocked.

The prosecution said the witness explained why the information was not in his statement, saying those who investigated the matter never asked … In court the witness revealed that prior to Ormsby’s apprehension he did not know it was him and that the case developed so fast. He said it was not until late 2020 he realized that Ormsby was charged for being a member of a criminal organization; but even then, the witness did not share with the investigator that Ormsby was working with the police. 

Justice Sykes told the prosecution that there is no good reason for him to allow this evidence to be admitted on record. Meanwhile another police witness, a forensic crime scene investigator detailed how he ventured into the hub of the alleged gang, Jones Avenue in Spanish Town taking pictures of graffiti walls. He formally identified several of the pictures in court, a wall bearing the words “One Don Blackman”, a wall with the words “clean fridayz one don” and another with the words “PNP, team proud family and 1-don”

The trial will reconvene on Tuesday at 10am. More here: