Three men freed of bus conductor’s murder
KINGSTON, Jamaica — After 11 years, three men were acquitted of a 2011 murder on Friday at the Supreme Court.
Alphanso Sergeant, Shaunte Finnikin and John Finnikin were on trial in the Supreme Court for the 2011 murder of bus conductor, Dalton Dennis in Golden Spring, Saint Andrew.
A statement, given by the deceased seven days after he was shot and in the hospital, was the prosecution’s main source of evidence during the trial that commenced on February 7.
The men were represented by Peter Champagnie KC and Samoi Campbell The statement named four men inclusive of the accused men as the attackers.
Dennis died five days after the statement was recorded.
For the majority of the trial, Champagnie and Campbell questioned the authenticity of the statement as well as the integrity of the police officer that recorded it. They also challenged the identification of their clients.
The presiding judge, Justice Leighton Pusey, admitted a level of uncertainty and established that he could not feel sure based on a number of issues with the statement.
