Battle of ‘friends’

St Michael resident Omar Layne said he was “knocked unconscious” by a former friend at the Lower Green Van Stand nine years ago.

Layne gave the evidence as the trail against his alleged attacker Kadeem Zaviad Atkins, of Block 5D, Deacons Farm, St Michael began in the No. 5 Supreme Court today.

Atkins is facing a two-count indictment of causing serious bodily harm to Layne with intent and assaulting Layne
occasioning him actual bodily harm on January 15, 2010.

Opening the case against Atkins this morning, Crown Counsel Neville Watson, prosecuting along with Senior Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney, told a jury of five women and four men that while he was in possession of the facts he would rather let Layne tell his story.

Under questioning Layne revealed that he was a the van stand around 5 p.m. with his friend Candice King waiting on a Route 4 ZR to go home. He subsequently felt a tug on his bag and when he turned Atkins just “started to cuff me around my head”.

Layne added: “I fell down and woke up in the police station. I was knocked unconscious.”

He went on to explain that he had no
clue how he arrived at the police station and also did not know how long he was unconscious.

“I recall speaking to my brother at the police station and the police officer . . . then I was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital . . . [and] remained . . . at the hospital for five days.

“Both my jaw was broken. I had a pebble lodge to my temple . . . . I had a lump,” he revealed as he pointed to an area on his head.

Layne also revealed that he had known Atkins from primary school and camps and they had no trouble before that day. He however recalled that the friendship came to an end in fourth form when he crossed paths with Atkins and another friend on the beach. He said he spoke to the other friend but did not say anything to Atkins who then  told him ‘you ain’t got to talk to me’ and he replied ‘ok’ and “walked off”.

The two have not spoken since.

Layne further told the court presided over by Madam Justice Pamela Beckles that before the incident he had “good memory” but he did not recall everything that happened on that day because: “It was cloudy, my memory. I still get headaches from time to time.”

Under cross examination by Atkins’ attorney Arthur Holder, the complainant was told to read parts of his statement that he gave to the police 11 days after he was discharged from the hospital.

Layne read: “I do not recall how I got the injury neither do I recall being in a fight with anyone. . . . We were standing side by side each other with Candice to my right . . .
I do not recall what happened immediately after. I recall waking up in the hospital.”

He admitted that he did not tell the police in his statement that he had been “cuffed” or someone had “pulled at his bag” or about “talking” to the accused.

However, when Watson re-examined Atkins about his mental state when he gave the police the statement he said: “Still cloudy”.

The complainant’s brother also took the stand and described the condition in which he found Layne on the day, while King told the jury that she couldn’t recalled in totality what had occurred on that day.

“The two of them got to high words, speaking to each other aggressively and then it led to an altercation, talking and pointing at each other and fighting. I didn’t see how the fight started . . . . I can’t remember what happen that day,” she stated.

Lead investigator acting Station Sergeant Ivor Wilkinson also gave evidence today.

He said when both men were brought into custody Layne said in the presence of the accused “I was at the bus terminal and  . . . Atkins bounce me and we fight” while the accused simply said “I hear what he say.”

On questioning Atkins the following day, Wilkinson said the accused stated: “Officer he bounce me and we fight.”

Wilkinson also said that Layne appeared to be coherent when he arrived at the station.

A statement was subsequently taken from the accused which read among other things that Atkins was at the terminal with friends. However the officer said apart from speaking to Layne’s brother and King he did not he ask who Atkins’ friends were neither did he seek them out and had “no reason” for taking that course of action.

The case continues tomorrow.