Pedro the ‘peacemaker’

In what was intended to be an act of peace, Pedro Ellis said he approached Antonio Harewood to find out why he had beaten his son and to resolve the matter.

However, he said when Harewood rushed at him with a knife he fought to save his life and Harewood was inadvertently stabbed.

That was the evidence which murder accused Ellis gave today in the No.3 Supreme Court as he took to the stand.

The 38-year-old Ellis of Morris Gap, Westbury Road, St Michael is accused of murdering Harewood on May 5, 2013.

Queen’s Counsel Larry Smith along with Kashka Haemans, Safiya Moore and Jamila Smith are representing the accused man, while Crown Counsels Oliver Thomas and Rudolph Burnett are prosecuting in the matter before Justice Carlisle Greaves.

In recounting the events of that fateful day, Ellis said he was in Westbury Road, now known as Rihanna Drive, playing football bareback with friends when he saw his son Orlando Ellis approaching him.

He said he went to his son who was holding his head and realized his clothes were dirty and his face was swollen and bloodied.

Ellis said his son told him he was on Brandon’s Beach and he got into a fight with ‘Antoine’.

He said he and his son left and went straight to Thorne’s Gap unarmed.

The accused man said after walking through the gap which was “lined with fellas on both sides” he got to a track where he saw Harewood talking to a man.

He told the court his intention was to find a peaceful resolution to the situation as he owned a shop in the neighbourhood.

“I just wanted to find out the reason why he beat my son and to resolve the issue in a peaceful manner. I wanted to resolve it in a peaceful manner because the shop was the sole provider for my family of six and 90 per cent of the sales came from Harewood and fellas on the block,” Ellis said.

However, he said as he approached Harewood, the now deceased man began to throw rocks at him.

Ellis said rocks also were thrown from behind him.

The accused man said he and his son armed themselves with rocks and threw at Harewood.

He said he then saw Harewood crouching behind a car “searching for something” but he did not know what.

Ellis said as a result he ran through the track but was struck in his back by a rock and fell.

He said when he turned around he saw Harewood about two to three feet away from him approaching with a knife in his hand.

He said a struggle ensued and he held onto the hand with which Harewood was holding the knife.

Ellis said moments later he heard Harewood make an “ahhh” sound and felt him release the grip on the knife.

He said Harewood ran away in the direction of Spring Garden while he ran in the opposite direction.

The accused said “Tee Tee” and “Die Hard” came through the track and he told them to call the ambulance.

Ellis said at that time he realized that Harewood’s shirt was “getting dark with blood”.

He said men began “pelting rocks” at him and his son and they began to run away. He admitted that at this time he was in possession of a knife.

Ellis said while running to safety both he and his son continued to throw rocks at the men chasing them, who also threw rocks at them. It was at this point he said he dropped the knife.

He said he eventually sought safety at “Jan’s house” where he told her to call the police.

He said police eventually came and after informing them of what happened he was taken to the police station.

Ellis said he informed the police he was injured and was taken to a doctor to be examined.

He said when he returned to the police station he was subsequently charged.