DPP drops six-year-old murder charge against St Michael man

Defence attorney Shadia Simpson is praising the introduction of electronically recorded police interviews of suspects after the prosecution dropped a murder charge against her client Deron Devon Thompson.

Thompson, a 25-year-old resident of Odessa McClean Drive, My Lord’s Hill St Michael, walked out of the Supreme Court Complex on Thursday afternoon after being informed he no longer had to face the charge of killing Donasun Husbands, formerly of Fairfield, Black Rock, St Michael, on July 13, 2018, since the State was discontinuing its case against him.

Husbands received multiple gunshot wounds while in the car park of the Hard Rock Cement Bond at Spring Garden, St Michael, after leaving a cruise.

Simpson outlined that during voir dire proceedings, the State, led by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Donna Babb-Agard KC, informed the trial judge there had been several breaches of Thompson’s constitutional rights during his interview.

“I am happy that justice has prevailed… Things that may not have been highlighted before that may have had an accused person at a disadvantage to be able to persuade the court via evidence that these things transpired, are now being recorded,” Simpson said.

“It is good for the accused and for the State as well because the State, in certain instances, would have a copy of the electronic interview to substantiate the fact that an accused person may not have been ill-treated or there was no infringement on their constitutional rights. In this particular case, it was obvious that Mr Thompson’s constitutional rights were violated and I really commend the DPP, in the circumstances, for taking the position . . . to discontinue the matter against him.”

Thompson, who was released on bail last December after being on remand for over five years, expressed happiness at the turn of events.

“I give thanks for life again and for a second chance,” he said.