Cop points out areas where spent shells found in Keith Clarke’s yard
A scene of crime investigator, who is also a forensic photographer, on Monday identified the different sections of Keith Clarke’s yard in Kirkland Heights, Red Hills, St Andrew, where he said he found close to 600 M16 spent shells the morning the accountant was shot dead inside his bedroom by members of the Jamaica Defence Force.
Exhibiting photographs which he said he had taken at the scene, the investigator went through a step-by-step explanation for the seven-member jury, pointing out where he found spent shells and other items when he arrived at the location. Most of the spent shells were found in bushes and at the roots of plants.
Pointing to numbered crime scene markers in the photographs, the cop explained that spent shells were found “to the left of the premises, leading to the back”.
“A further search of this area revealed another quantity of spent casings amounting to 78. Marker 24 is where 53 additional spent casings were found,” he said under cross-examination by prosecutor Dwayne Green, after which he showed another photograph which, he said, depicted where 63 spent shells were found.
He also said other spent casings were found in an area of vegetation to the left of the premises at the bottom of the staircase, a garden area to the left of the premises, and on a table to the left of the premises in what appears to be a sitting area.
Tear gas cannisters were also seen in two photographs.
The policeman then went on to tell the court what he saw upon entering the bedroom where Clarke’s body was found.
He said there was brown substance resembling blood, as well as spent casings on the floor.
On May 27, 2010 Clarke was shot more than 20 times, including in his back, during a police/military operation mounted in search of then fugitive Christopher “Dudus” Coke, for whom the United States had issued an extradition warrant.
Coke was wanted on drugs and weapons charges.
Three soldiers — lance corporals Greg Tingling and Odel Buckley, as well as Private Arnold Henry — are on trial for murder in relation to Clarke’s death.
The defence is arguing that Coke, the then Tivoli Gardens gang leader, was camping out in Clarke’s basement with seven to eight of his heavily armed henchmen. The gunmen are said to have engaged the security forces in a fierce gun battle in the early morning of May 27, 2010.
Clarke’s widow, Dr Claudette Clarke, and his daughter Britney Clarke, who were at the house at the time of incident, have profusely denied that Coke or anybody else was staying in the basement of their house on that day, and denied knowing whether gunmen had challenged the security forces in their yard before escaping in bushes leading to Red Hills Road.
On Monday, King’s Counsel Valerie Neita Robertson started her cross-examination of the witness on behalf of her client, Tingling.
The trial continues today.