The gun that fired the fatal bullet that killed prison inmate Neil Brown has yet to be produced in the Coroner’s inquest, it was revealed yesterday.
Firearms examiner detective Sergeant Earl Thompson disclosed findings on four Smith and Wesson Special revolvers.
His evidence assisted the court as Coroner Linda Virgill and her seven member jury inquire into the circumstances surrounding the death of Brown and prison guard Dion Bowles on January 17.
On April 26, the officer told the court he received four Smith and Wesson special revolvers with serial numbers, CFJ2788, CFJ2782, CFH9058 and CFJ2790.
Sergeant Thompson said all of the weapons were examined and tested. The tests were microscopically analysed and compared against a fired bullet in his possession.
When compared against the first weapon, Mr Thompson said the gun was excluded as having fired that bullet.
Two other firearms were also excluded as having fired the bullet that killed Neil Brown.
As for the final firearm the officer said the test results were inconclusive. He explained that because only two grooves remain on the fired bullet, it was difficult to confirm or exclude the weapon when compared with the tests.
The officer said he was satisfied though, that weapon did not fire the mentioned bullet.
In the meantime, jurors also had an opportunity to view the surveillance video as recorded for cells C-16 through 25.
Prison guard Travis Bowe directed jurors through the footage that he recorded from the surveillance equipment. Officer Wilber Munroe attached to the police technical division operated the equipment so that the images could be viewed and projected onto the wall.
At about 2.06 a.m. officer Stephen Sands came into view making checks of the mentioned cells.
He remained at Corey Hepburn’s cell for about three seconds before leaving the area.
According to Bowe there were no recordings for cells C-one through 15 to show the direction Sands headed in when he left that area.
At about 2.14 a.m. inmates could be seen passing a package between cells via the ‘fishing in’ method.
PO G B Rolle and Sergeant Sands could be seen making a check at 3.31 a.m.
Another message was seen being passed between cells at 3.48 a.m.
At 4.10 a.m. prison guard Bowles was seen making checks of those cells, he stopped for a few minutes at the cell of Corey Hepburn who seemed to ask him to collect something from a far corner.
As he appeared to be leaving the area, the lights went out just before he got to the corridor door. A few minutes later, two people were seen entering that portion of the cell block in the direction of Bowles. One short, stocky person possibly Neil Brown, exited the area about a minute or so later, while two other figures dressed in long pants followed. The faces of the men were obscured as the area was in darkness. At about 4:25 a.m. four persons, believed to be prison officers, came through the corridor with flashlights. They collected the body of Bowles, who appeared to be just at the corridor door, a few feet away from the reach of light beams.
By: JIMENITA SWAIN, The Nassau Guardian
