Murder case against ‘talented’ sealy dismissed

The Crown today offered no further evidence against a murder accused, described by the trial judge as “the best non lawyer that I have ever heard” in 28 years on the Bench.

Roger Rommel Stephen Sealy had the matter against him dismissed, after Justice Carlisle Greaves upheld the voir dire case and ruled that statements allegedly given to police while the accused was in custody were inadmissible.

Sealy, of No. 11 Martindales Road, Pinelands, St Michael had been charged that on January 2, 2011 he murdered Anderson Brathwaite, formerly of Sargeant’s Road, Ellerton, St George.

When arraigned on Wednesday, February 26, Sealy pleaded not guilty to the charge and a 12-member jury was selected to hear evidence in the case against him.

Over the past few days however, the accused, who represented himself had been addressing the No. 3 Supreme Court on legal arguments in the absence of the jury.

In those submissions Sealy claimed among other things, that lawmen had beaten him when he was detained in connection with the capital offence.

Today, those arguments which had dominated the court’s attention, came to a close and Justice Greaves ruled that all written and oral statements allegedly given to police by the accused were inadmissible in court.

Senior Crown Counsel Neville Watson and Crown Counsel Rudolph Burnett were the prosecutors in the matter. Watson told the court that having taken instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions Donna Babb-Agard, Q.C., “It is our position that the Crown is offering no further evidence against this accused man in this matter.”

The 12 jurors who had been sworn in, but heard no witness testimonies, were then instructed by law to return a not guilty verdict against the Sealy.

“You have been found not guilty . . . you have done a wonderful case I must say, you’ve shown great scholarship

. . . they made allegations against you in this matter and I suggest that you should take this opportunity and try to better your life so no other such allegations will be made against you,” Justice Greaves told the St Leonard’s Boys’ School dropout.

He went on to tell Sealy, who disclosed that he dropped out of the fourth form at the St Michael educational facility in order to “Help support my mother and the household”, that he should consider going back to school and study.

“You are the best non lawyer that I have ever heard. I have never seen anything like that in my life; never seen anybody make submissions like that; never seen anybody set up questions like that – some fantastic lawyering I must say that.

“You have an extraordinary talent. I would not want to see you in Dodds for too long . . . . I am not here trying to big you up it is a statement of fact. I have never seen anything like that in the 28 years sitting on these benches  – that is the kind of talent that should go to university.

“I have never heard anybody quote so many cases in my life who is not a trained lawyer. So go use that talent, if there are any guns come knocking round you run from them. I look forward before I get too old for this to see you at the Bar table not in the dock,” the judge told Sealy who remains behind bars in connection with another matter despite the dismissal of the capital offence.