Attorney Michael Kemp’s questioning of a witness in yesterday’s prisoner inquest ended in a heated exchange between Mr Kemp, prosecutor Neil Braithwaite and Coroner Linda Virgill, who eventually cleared the courtroom.
At the end of Assistant Superintendent Raymond Julian’s initial testimony, Mr Kemp, who represents convicted drug dealer Dwight Major, rose and posed this question to the officer: “Was this not an inside job involving prison officers?”
“I don’t know,” said ASP Julian. “I don’t work at maximum security.”
“Do you suspect it to be an inside job?” Mr Kemp pressed. “I can’t answer that,” the officer replied.
“Did any prison officer confess to you that he shot Neil Brown?” continued Mr Kemp. “No,” said ASP Julian.
“On the death of an inmate, isn’t it the duty of the Superintendent to report the death to the coroner?”
“Yes,” said ASP Julian. “Was that done?” Mr Kemp asked.
Seeming annoyed, ASP Julian told Mr Kemp, “the superintendent did what he had to do. Ask him that.”
“Has Dwight Major been questioned?” Mr Kemp continued.
When Officer Julian told him that he was not aware of Major being questioned, Mr Kemp shot back, “You are the number three man and you still don’t know if Dwight Major has been questioned?”
Mr Kemp then shifted his line of questioning to the unidentified witness “X”, who testified to his client’s supposed involvement in the prison break that took place on the morning of January 17.
“Do you know who ‘X’ is?” ‘asked Mr Kemp. “I don’t know,” said ASP Julian.
Next, the attorney wanted to know if ASP Julian was familiar with two officers, Pierre and Johnson.
He informed the attorney that he was not familiar with a Pierre and that there were a lot of Johnsons at the prison.
Mr Kemp then wanted to know if the officer was aware of the unknown officers’ involvement in the sodomising of an infant. ASP Julian said that he knew nothing of this matter.
Query
At this point Coroner Virgill stepped in and stopped Mr Kemp by telling him that the court was not a criminal court. She wanted to know where he was going with his line of questioning, as they seemed to be questions that should be addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office or the office of the Attorney General.
Mr Braithwaite then interjected and informed Mr Kemp that his client was not a person of interest as per the inquiry, therefore he should have no standing in the matter to ask questions.
Mr Kemp continued to defend his client’s name to the court, only to be told that Major’s role was limited to one particular thing – conspiracy – if the evidence was accepted. This charge, it was explained to Mr Kemp, was not a finding that could be returned by a coroner.
Even though he was told that the court was looking into matters contributing to the death of prison officer Deon Bowles and inmate Neil Brown, Mr Kemp insisted that the statement by witness “X” which was read into evidence last week by ASP Anthony Ferguson be edited, as it had already maligned his client.
The court sat in silence while Attorney Kemp continued to make his case; and when he reminded the coroner of how Mr Rodney Moncur, as a layman was able to question the witnesses, the coroner reminded him, as an attorney, that he ought to know better when handling matters as it related to the coroner’s inquest.
She then moved to have the courtroom cleared of all individuals so as to clear up the matter with Mr Kemp.
Twenty minutes later the court resumed, and ASP Julian continued with his testimony, while Mr Kemp left the courtroom.
ASP Julian, like General Duty Officer Sancto Kelly, was unable to give any particulars related to the inmates other than to say that he saw three of them handcuffed and then placed on the prison bus on Yamacraw Road.
He said that there was no need to really check on the inmates, as there were other senior officers at the scene on Yamacraw Road and at Her Majesty’s Prison, and he felt that the inmates were secured.
Asked when he learned of Neil Brown’s death, the officer said that it could have been sometime after 9am on the 17th.
Later in the proceedings, Emergency Medical Services Officer George Burrows Jr told the court of inspecting the wounds of both Barry Parcoi and Forrester Bowe.
Mr Burrows said that he focused more attention on Parcoi, as his wounds warranted much needed attention.
Inmate Parcoi, said Mr Burrows, had what appeared to be three gunshot wounds, one to the forearm, one to the right side of the hip, and one to the right thigh. Additionally said Mr Burrows, Parcoi’s right ear was torn, and the top of his head needed stitches.
Parcoi, Burrows continued, also had three lumps on the top of his head that could not have been self-inflicted or made with the hand.
The medical official judged that such wounds probably resulted from being hit with an object such as a piece of wood.
By MARK HUMES, The Tribune
